- Born
- Birth nameBarbara Jay McMurray
- Height5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
- Born on 5th August 1948 in Hastings, East Sussex, England. She started her television career in 1970 in the TV series A Family at War (1970), cast as Freda Ashton. She became better known following her appearances in The Beiderbecke Affair (1985), The Beiderbecke Tapes (1987) and The Beiderbecke Connection (1988), alongside James Bolam. She has narrated recent documentaries such as: "Frontier House", When Pat Phoenix Met Tony Booth (2002), "50s & 60s in Living Colour" and "What Granny Did in the War". Television series include: Cracker (1993) in which she played Fitz's wife Judith, more recently in Hornblower: Duty (2003) and Hornblower: Loyalty (2003). Recent feature film appearances include: Professor Corner in You're Dead... (1999) and Pauline in The Escort (1999) (aka "The Escort"). Theatre includes: Goneril in "King Lear" National Theatre (1997) and on BBC TV (King Lear (1998)); "The Bullet" in which she played Billie at London's West End Donmar Warehouse Theatre (1998); "An Experiment With An Air Pump" at the Hampstead Theatre (2002), playing two characters, Susannah Fenwick and Ellen.
- IMDb mini biography by: Major James Brown (Retired)
- SpouseJeremy Taylor(February 27, 1982 - July 17, 2017) (his death, 1 child)
- In her spare time she designs and makes jewellery. Some of her jewellery pieces have been used in dramas such as Beyond Paradise (2023) in which she has starred.
- Mother, with husband Jeremy Taylor, of one son.
- Her father, James McMurray was a consultant pathologist,.
- Resides in London.(2007).
- [talking about the fact that she often plays no-nonsense women with feminist tendencies] I don't know why I get cast in these roles, but feisty strong women is kind of my bag really. From Cracker to The Beiderbecke Affair to A Very Peculiar Practice, that's what I get offered. I don't know what casting directors see in me that they think, "We need a feisty old bag, let's get Barbara in." But, truth be told, they are much more interesting to play than really wet women.
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