Joan Sanderson, English actress (died 1992)

Joan Sanderson was an English actress. During a long career on stage and screen, her tall and commanding disposition led to her playing mostly dowagers, spinsters and matrons, as well as intense Shakespearean roles. Her television work included appearances in the comedy series Please Sir! (1968–72), Rising Damp (1978), Fawlty Towers, Ripping Yarns, and Me and My Girl (1984–88).