Background
Born in Hereford, Herefordshire in 1919, Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents, and grew up in Manchester, where she attended Withington and Levenshulme High Schools.
Born in Hereford, Herefordshire in 1919, Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents, and grew up in Manchester, where she attended Withington and Levenshulme High Schools.
Her film appearances included The Belles of Saint Trinian"s (1954), The Killing of Sister George (1968), The Assassination Bureau (1969) and Number Sex Please, We"re British (1973)
Leaving school at 16, she made her debut in 1936 as a music hall performer at the Floral Hall, Bridlington. Before and during the Second World War, she took part in variety shows and pantomimes. She had no formal training but later appeared at the Royal National Theatre in London as a comedy actress.
Her first big success came in the British Broadcasting Corporation radio show Educating Archie as naughty schoolgirl Monica and later as the Brummie, "Marlene".
Her many film and television roles as a character actor were usually well received. The tour of the play was not a success, people in shops refused to serve her and other performers due to the gay characters in the play.
She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1976 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the car park of Thames Television’s Teddington Studios. In both Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley"s People Reid played Connie Sachs.
She also wrote an autobiography, So Much Love, which was well received.
She played the part of an elderly feminist and political subversive in the 1987 television drama, The Beiderbecke Tapes. Always a big personality, character actress, gifted in comedy, she appeared in many situation comedy and variety programmes on television including British Broadcasting Corporation television"s long running music hall show, The Good Old Days. Beryl Reid died on 13 October 1996 from pneumonia and osteoporosis at a South Buckinghamshire hospital following knee surgery.
She was 77 years old.