Biography

Anna Wing

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Anna Wing first appeared on television in the late 1930s, and became a highly experienced film and stage actress. She appeared in numerous television series throughout her career, including The Wednesday Play (1964), Anna Karenina (1977) and Z Cars (1962). However, she became a household name when she starred in over 230 episodes of EastEnders (1985) as the matriarch Lou Beale.

She had two sons, including the actor Mark Wing-Davey. She died in her sleep in July 2013, aged 98.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous
Best known for playing Lou Beale in the BBC series EastEnders, she was the youngest of three boys and two girls. Their father was a greengrocer who later became a shoe designer. When she was seven, she wanted to be a missionary but was scared in case she would be sent to dark places. By the time she was eleven, she wanted to be an actress and always listened to plays on the radio. When she saw John Gielgud on stage at the Old Vic that clinched it. At twenty-one, she joined an acting school at Croydon, thanks to a mystery benefactor. It was someone who had seen her act and promised to put money into her post office account on condition she made no attempt to discover her identity. Her eldest son Mark Wing-Davey is an actor while her youngest, Jon Wing-O'Connor is a teacher. She acted in rep at the Citizen's Theatre in Glasgow in her early days.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5

Made a special guest appearance at the 2005 British Soap Awards and received a standing ovation.
When she auditioned for the part of Lou Beale in EastEnders (1985) she took along her birth certificate to prove that she had been born in Hackney and therefore qualified as a real Eastender, and to prove she was the daughter of a greengrocer like the character that she was due to play.
She was 71 when she auditioned for the role of Lou Beale on EastEnders (1985). She took along her birth certificate to prove she was the daughter of a greengrocer in London's East End.
Was in attendance at the funeral of her former EastEnders (1985) co-star Wendy Richard (9 March 2009).
She was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to Drama and to Charity.

[on EastEnders (1985)] The show was killing me. I was getting fatter and slower every day - I'd put on two stone since the show started. And the bitchy backstage atmosphere was really getting me down.
All my life, I've been an actress. Now I want to be a household name.

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