A British stage actress who migrated to the USA to play the bitchy Sable Coolly on “Dynasty II: The Cloys” (ABC, 1985-87), Stephanie Beacham has often been cast in roles that vary between nasty vixens and cool, take-charge women. The London native began her career on stage in Liverpool in 1964 where she was a founding member of the Everyman Theatre. She debuted there in “The Servant of Two Masters” and as the First Witch in “Macbeth”. By 1970, Beacham was working on the London stage in “The Basement” and later appeared opposite Ian McKellen in “Venice Preserved” (1985) and Jeremy Irons in “The Rover” (1988). She belatedly made her Broadway debut in 1996 in a production of Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband”.
Beacham debuted in films in 1969′s “The Games” as an Olympic hopeful opposite Michael Crawford. She subsequently appeared as a swinger alongside Ava Gardner in Roddy McDowell’s “The Devil’s Widow” (1971). More recently, she was a nemesis to Shelly Long in the pallid comedy “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989). Beacham has feared better on the small screen, She reprised her role as the bitch-goddess Sable on “Dynasty” for the 1988-89 season. She switched to comedy in the title role of “Sister Kate” (NBC, 1989-90), a nun more familiar with work in the high echelons of power now assigned to run an orphanage. Beacham had the recurring role of Luke Perry’s mother on Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210″ and later played the very able Dr. Westphalen for two seasons (1993-95) on NBC’s “seaQuest DSV”.
- Born:
on 02/28/47 in London, England
- Job Titles:
Actor
Family
- Brother: Richard Beacham.
- Daughter: Chloe McEnery. born c. 1977
- Daughter: Phoebe McEnery. born c. 1975
- Father:
- Mother: Joan Beacham.
- Sister: Diana Bell.
Significant Others
- Husband: John McEnery. married c. 1973; divorced c. 1977
Education
- Convent of the Sacred Heart, London, England
- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, England
Milestones
- 1964 Was founding member of the Liverpool (England) Everyman Theatre; made stage debut in “The Servant of Two Masters”
- 1969 Feature acting debut in “The Games”
- 1970 London stage debut in “The Basement”
- 1982 Starred in BBC TV prison drama “Tenko” (aired in USA in 1984 on Arts & Entertainment Network)
- 1985 Played Sable on “Dynasty II: The Colbys” (ABC)
- 1985 Co-starred with Ian McKellen in London stage production “Venice Preserved”
- 1987 Co-starred in the ABC miniseries “Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story”
- 1996 Filmed supporting role in “Saving Grace”
- 1996 Made Broadway debut in revival of Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband”
- 2000 Appeared on the London stage in “A Busy Day”, a “lost” play by Fanny Burney
- 2002 Toured opposite Simon Williams in Williams’ play “Nobody’s Perfect”
- Appeared as Iris McKay, the mother of Dylan McKay (Luke Perry), on episodes of Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210″
- Cast as Dr. Westphalen on “seaQuest DSV” (NBC)
- Reprised role of Sable on “Dynasty”
- Starred in the title role of the NBC sitcom “Sister Kate”
