British actress Judy Parfitt is well known for her roles in Girl with a Pearl Earring and Dolores Claiborne. More recently, the TV, film and theatre actress has been starring in Call the Midwife.
How old is Judy Parfitt?
Judy was born on November 7 1935, making her currently 86 years
Where did Judy Parfitt grow up?
She was born in Sheffield where she attended the Notre Dame High School for Girls before training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Does Judy Parfitt have a husband?
After her Husband Tony Steedman sadly passed away from Dementia in 2001, Judy is now a widow.
Does Judy Parfitt have any children?
Yes – She has one son with her late Husband, Tony Steedman. Their son David was born in 1964.
Judy Parfitt young
Here's a look at Judy as a young woman...
Judy Parfitt in Call the Midwife
Judy Parfitt plays the role of Sister Monica Joan in Call the Midwife who was one of the first women in the UK to qualify as a nurse midwife. She has been in the series since its first season in 2012.
Is Judy Parfitt still in Call the Midwife?
Yes - thankfully Sister Monica Joan is still going strong in series 10, 11 and 12! Plus, after filming took place earlier this year, it's now been confirmed that series 13 of Call the Midwife will begin on Sunday 7th January at 8pm.
There's also the Christmas episode to look forward to, during which it's been revealed that Sister Monica Joan is convinced this could be her last Yuletide and decides she’ll not live to see man walk on the moon. The Nonnatus Family decide something must be done to try and lighten her state of mind.
Back in 2017 Judy hinted that she might leave after series six ended, worrying that ill health might force her to leave.
However, during an interview with Yours, when asked if there was ever a question of her leaving Call the Midwife, Judy pulls no punches!
“Well, you know age is just a number," says Judy. "You’ll know I’m not coming back to Call the Midwife when I’m dead! Or I can’t do it anymore or they don’t want me anymore.
“The absolute thing about age is that while we should be aware of it, we shouldn’t treat older people as if they’re all completely mentally deficient. I moved into a new house a while back and had a new bath put in which was very deep and thin, which made it tricky to get in and out of. I arranged to have a handle put into the wall so I could pull myself up. The plumber came, sat in the bath himself and saw that it wasn’t easy to get out of but he said, ‘Let’s get on to the disabled people and see if they have anything’. I replied, ‘Look love, I may be as old as Methuselah but I’m not disabled yet!’”
Reminiscing about filming for the 10th series of Call the Midwife during COVID restrictions, Judy says it was a trial – and, as usual, she doesn’t sugar-coat her words!
“It was horrible! We’re usually a very cuddly company. We love a gossip and giving each other hugs. Understandably no one came near you, everyone backed away from each other. Wearing a mask as well as a nun’s habit under the lights was not good. But, yes, I do appreciate how lucky we are to have been able to work at all, even if it was a bit like being in a well-looked-after prison!” she laughs.
A decade of Call the Midwife
It’s now over ten years since Call the Midwife started filming. “And that’s unbelievable!” says Judy. “When we started it was just for six episodes and I can’t tell you how quickly the time has flown by. When you think that it’s over a decade… Well, that’s why we’ve become like a family, why we’re so protective of each other and the show.
“We’re all so very proud of it because it touches on some very difficult subjects and has presented them all beautifully. The writing is fantastic – I don’t know how they do it – and I keep saying, ‘Don’t you want to kill me off, yet?’
“I’m always constantly amazed at the amount of mail I get and the amount of people who stop me to say, ‘Is it coming back?’ and then being so happy when they hear it is. Call the Midwife touches something in people that I’ve never seen before. They feel like they own it, in a way. I suppose they feel they’ve grown up with it. I think it also has something to do with the time period it’s set in. While the Fifties and now the Sixties were not without fault, in many ways it was a kinder, more gentle time.”
What TV shows has Judy Parfitt been in?
As well as being in Call the Midwife since 2012, Judy has also been in Little Dorrit, Vera, Heartbeat, Midsomer Murders, Funland, ER, Jonathan Creek, Murder, She Wrote, The Charmings, The Jewel in the Crown and various others.
What films has Judy Parfitt been in?
Most famous for her role as Maria Thins in the 2003 film, Girl with a Pearl Earring, she has also been in The Aryan Couple, The Moth Diaries, Ever After and Dolores Claiborne.
What is Judy Parfitt's net worth?
Although we can't know for sure, Judy is believed to have a net worth of $600,000 - that's nearly £450,000.