Jill Gascoine - Career

Career

Gascoine began her acting career in theatre in the 1960s and she had regular roles at the Dundee Repertory Theatre. Her early work also included collaborations with future film and television director, Ken Loach.

From 1970 onwards, Gascoine turned was cast for television drama and made appearances in series such as Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, Softly, Softly: Taskforce and Within These Walls. In 1975, she had a part in British sex-farce Confessions of a Pop Performer. She then had a recurring role playing Letty Gaunt in The Onedin Line (1976-79).

She became better known in 1980 when she took the lead role in the ITV drama series The Gentle Touch, playing Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes. This was the first British television drama that centred around a female police officer, coming several months before the BBC's similarly themed Juliet Bravo. The Gentle Touch ran for five series until 1984, though Gascoine continued to play Maggie Forbes in the more action-oriented spin-off series C.A.T.S. Eyes from 1985-87. Following this, she then appeared as Judy Schwartz in the final series of the sitcom Home to Roost (1989–90) opposite John Thaw, and continued to make guest appearances on British television.

After a high profile career that had spanned over twenty years on British television, Gascoine and her second husband, actor Alfred Molina, moved to Los Angeles in the 1990s. Since moving there, Gascoine has made appearances on US television in series such as Northern Exposure and Touched by an Angel, as well as performing extensively in theatre. Though she still lives in Los Angeles, she returned to the UK in 2008 to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, appearing in Colette Freedman s play Sister Cities at the Gilded Balloon Theatre.

In October 2009, it was announced that Gascoine would portray the role of Glenda Mitchell, former wife of Archie Mitchell and mother of Ronnie and Roxy, in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from early 2010. However, during her first day on set, she withdrew from her filming commitments, as she felt that she "lacked the right experience to film such a big continuing drama". The part was re-cast with Glynis Barber.