Pam Ferris: Films, TV shows and her love for dogs

Pam Ferris is a Welsh actress who's known for many unforgettable roles, including Ma Larkin in The Darling Buds of May, Laura Thyme in Rosemary & Thyme, Peggy Snow in Where The Heart Is and, of course, Mrs Trunchball in the film Matilda.

Where was Pam Ferris born?

Pam was born in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, to Welsh parents, while her father was serving in the Royal Air Force.

How old is Pam Ferris?

Pam was born May 11, 1948 making her 73.

Who is Pam Ferris married to?

In 1986, she married actor Roger Frost. He's an actor who has previously appeared in The Wolfman (2010), The Bourne Identity (2002) and Time Bandits (1981).

Does Pam Ferris have any children?

Pam Ferris doesn't have any children. In an interview with The Guardian in 2012, she shared that because she worked very hard as a young woman, marriage and children were not a priority. She married at 38 and says her commitment to work was the reason she never had children.

Why did Pam Ferris leave Call The Midwife?

One of our favourite roles has to be her portrayal of Sister Evangelina in Call The Midwife. Pam left the show in 2016 - but why?

Sister Evangelina's death after having a stroke on Call The Midwife - played marvellously by Pam Ferris - left not a dry eye in the country.

Now, Pam has revealed that the real reason she had to leave the show was because of her beloved dogs.

"We filmed the first couple of series of Call The Midwife in north London and that was a do-able train commute from my home in East Kent, although it still meant very early mornings and not getting home until eight or nine at night.

"But when the set moved to Surrey, I had no choice but to drive and that took forever because the M25 was always jammed. I started staying in a hotel but that meant I was never home and so didn’t get to see much of my husband or my two dogs – a Lurcher called Stanley and Elsie, a little Jack Russell. I tried to find a flat to rent so that my husband and dogs would be able to spend half the week with me but I couldn’t find anywhere that would take dogs."

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Why did Pam Ferris leave Where the Heart is?

Pam played the iconic character of Peggy Snow in the ever so popular ITV series, Where the Heart is until her departure from the show in 2000. Pam wanted to leave the show so the producers decided to make her exit a memorable one.

The district nurse was badly injured in a car crash involving a horse. When the doctors declared Peggy was brain dead as a result of the accident, her husband Vic had to make the heart-breaking decision to turn her life support machine off. It was a very sad farewell to Peggy as her family gathered around her hospital bed to say their tearful goodbyes.

Pam Ferris and her love of dogs

Pam adores dogs and didn’t have to think twice when Blue Cross asked her to become an Ambassador for them.

She became involved with Blue Cross some years ago, after seeing them featured on the TV programme, Pet Rescue.

“Do you remember that show?” she asks. “It highlighted animals and pets who needed homes. We had one Jack Russell at the time and we wanted a companion for him. Two elderly female dogs were shown – one was a Corgi/Jack Russell cross and the other was a funny little Yorkie. They were tea-and-biscuit dogs, lap dogs, and both had been abandoned. They were sitting in a cage and looking forlorn as if to say, ‘What have we done wrong?’ They were both about 11.

"We thought we’d be able to give them three or four years of happy life. We drove to Burford in Oxfordshire, Blue Cross HQ, and met the dogs. Then there was a home visit to see if we were suitable and happily we were. It turned out that Sophie, the Corgi/Jack Russell cross was nearer eight than 11 – she’d appeared older because she was so unfit and depressed. But once she was with us, she lived for another nine years.

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"Now we have Stan and Elsie – and they’re both amazing. Stan was a rescue dog – he’d been dumped with his two sisters at nearly a year old. He was just a scabby skeleton when we first saw him – now he’s so beautiful he stops the traffic. We’ve had Elsie since she was a puppy. We wanted company for Stan and it was easier to integrate a puppy than another full-size dog. He’s elegant, athletic and lazy while Elsie is excitable, tireless and passionate.”

And do they get on?

“Yes – although she likes to put her head in his mouth on a daily basis,” Pam laughs.

“When he’s relaxing, she’ll come over and poke and pull at his mouth until he opens it. Then she puts her head inside and shrieks when he tries to close his teeth. It’s very funny – rather like seeing a very naughty girl doing what she likes with a big, sleepy bloke.”

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In her role as Ambassador of Blue Cross, Pam has visited their hospital for pets in London’s Victoria.

“The staff do an incredible job for minimal costs – there is no official funding, the charity relies entirely on donations,” she says. “Vet fees can be so expensive and many people can’t afford them. But why should they be deprived of the company, love and companionship of their pets because they can’t afford the bills?

“The love of a pet can be vital to the wellbeing of its owner. In this sense, Blue Cross help people as well as their pets.”

Words and interview by Alison James

For more information about Blue Cross call 0300 777 1897, or visit www.bluecross.org.uk

Why wasn't Pam in the Darling Buds of May reboot?

Pam played the maternal figure of Ma Larkin in The Darling Buds of May, alongside Catherine Zeta Jones and David Jason. The whimsical comedy-drama portrayed rural life in the 1950s and followed the adventures of the working-class Larkin family.

The show was one of the biggest hits of the early 1990s and launched the career of Catherine Zeta-Jones, who is now considered a Hollywood A-lister. It ran for a total of 20 episodes across three series from 1991 to 1993 and was based on a novel by HE Bates.

ITV's latest reboot of The Darling Buds of May, The Larkins, has been created to hopefully introduce the show to a new generation of viewers. Called The Larkins, the six-part series will not feature the original cast members and Pam Ferris will not be reprising her role as Ma Larkin, instead the character is portrayed by Joanna Scanlan. Bradley Walsh, host of popular TV game show The Chase, took on the role of Pop Larkin.

What other TV shows and movies has Pam Ferris been in?

Pam starred on television as Laura Thyme in Rosemary & Thyme and played the part of the headteacher Mrs Bevan in the Christmas films Nativity! and Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!

Pam Ferris in Harry Potter

Harry Potter fans might remember Pam Ferris from her role in Harry Potter as Marge Dursley - the elder sister of Harry Potter's uncle Vernon. She starred in the third film in the franchise, The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) in the beginning scenes. You may recall her being rude to Harry before he inflates her using a spell causing her to float up in the air at Privet Drive.

Pam Ferris in Matilda

One of Pam's most famous roles was as Miss Agatha Trunchbull in the 1996 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda. The iconic role saw her transform into the terrifying fictional head teacher who terrorised the pupils at her school.

Was Pam Ferris in Gavin and Stacey?

Pam Ferris also appeared in a few episodes of the popular British comedy, Gavin and Stacey as Cath Smith, mother to Gavin's friend Smithy.

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