Dame Sheila Hancock is one in every of Britain’s beloved actresses, having starred on the West End and in movie and tv collection for the final seven a long time. Off-screen, her life is simply as thrilling, as she moms three daughters, one in every of whom has a really well-known appearing credit score on her resume.
The 93-12 months-previous was married to the late actor John Thaw, who appeared in a plethora of award-successful TV exhibits through the 70s and 80s, after discovering fame as Detective Inspector Jack Regan in The Sweeney.
Sheila and John tied the knot on Christmas Eve in 1973 throughout an intimate, quiet ceremony in Cirencester. The well-known couple had been married for 28 years till John died from most cancers in 2002.
Before his dying, John welcomed one daughter with Shelia, Joanna Thaw, and fathered one other daughter, Abigail Thaw, from his first marriage, whom Sheila adopted as her personal. Shelia can also be a mom to Melanie, from her first marriage to Alec Ross. Let’s meet them…
© Getty ImagesMelanie Thaw
© PA Images by way of Getty ImagesBorn in 1964, Melanie is now 61 years previous and was Sheila’s daughter from her marriage to Alec, which ended in 1971 when he died from most cancers.
After assembly her subsequent husband, John, the actor adopted Melanie and raised her as his personal, giving her his surname.
Despite her well-known dad and mom, Melanie selected a extra conventional route and is now a trainer of drama who runs a summer time college in addition to appearing classes all through the college time period.
She has three children of her personal, a daughter, Lola Byam-Shaw, who was born on 3 April 1998, and two sons, Jack Byam-Shaw, born on 10 March 1995 and Louis Byam-Shaw, born in October 2007.
Melanie was identified with breast most cancers in 2017, one thing Sheila wrote about in her memoir, Old Rage. She had a lump eliminated and underwent chemotherapy and is now “fine”, in accordance with the actress.
Joanna Thaw
© Getty ImagesFollowing in her dad and mom’ footsteps, Joanna grew to become an actress and appeared in the background of Love Actually and as a detective in the TV collection The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.
She was born in 1974 and has been married to Matt Harvey since 2004. The couple have since welcomed two children.
Abigail Thaw
© Getty ImagesAlso an actress, Abigail was born on 1 October 1965 to John and his first spouse, Sally Alexander, an instructional who taught fashionable historical past at Goldsmiths College.
The couple divorced in 1968, and Abigail was very a lot part of Sheila’s household with her different daughters. She skilled at RADA and met her now husband, actor Nigel Whitmey. They dwell in Muswell Hill in London.
The star is finest recognized for her function as investigative journalist Dorothea Frazil in the detective drama collection Endeavour. She has starred in quite a lot of TV collection, including Casualty, Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Black Mirror, in addition to many stage productions.
