Judith Catherine Buxton (born 7 October 1949) is an English actress best known for playing Nurse Katy Shaw in General Hospital (1972–1973), Susan Protheroe in By the Sword Divided (1983–1985) and Ruth Carpenter in On the Up (1990–1992). She has also appeared in several films including Aces High (1976) and The Big Sleep (1978) as well as having an extensive stage career with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Early life Born in Croydon, Surrey,Masud, Ali (13 August 2003). "Comedy runs in the family". Yourlocalguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024. Buxton attended Croydon High School and graduated from the Rose Bruford College.
Career Buxton made her screen debut in an episode of Dixon of Dock Green in 1972. She went on to have a regular role in the television series General Hospital playing nurse Katy Shaw in twenty six episodes. Afterwards, Buxton had roles in several popular television series such as The Sweeney, Public Eye and Get Some In!, before appearing in two episodes of Rising Damp as Caroline Armitage and played Inga, Roj Blake's cousin in Blake's 7.
Her film debut was in the horror film I Don't Want to Be Born with Joan Collins in 1975, later appearing in the comedy films The Likely Lads and The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones (both 1976). After starring in high-profile films such as Aces High (1976) and The Big Sleep (1978), Buxton joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1979, where she played principal roles until 1982. Her performances as Iphigenia in The Greeks and as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet were particularly notable.
She returned to television in 1983, playing the main role of Susan Protheroe in By The Sword Divided until the show's end in 1985 before having roles in Bergerac and Lovejoy and playing Ruth Carpenter, a main role, in the television comedy On the Up from 1990 to 1992, alongside Dennis Waterman and Joan Sims. In the late 1980s, Buxton went onto narrate My Little Pony book and tape sets from Tempo Talking Stories. In 1998, Buxton had a role in the romantic comedy film Get Real. In 2006, she was in the cast of a well-received UK touring production of Noël Coward's Star Quality. Judy stars alongside her husband in the sitcom Barmy Dale.
Personal life Buxton is married to actor Jeffrey Holland.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1975 I Don't Want to Be Born Sheila 1976 The Likely Lads Iris The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones Lizzie Aces High French Girl 1978 The Big Sleep Cheval Club Receptionist 1998 Get Real John's Mother 2012 Run for Your Wife Gym Class Lady Cameo2015 Art Ache Stella Pullman 2016 The National Union of Space People Janet Darling
Television Year Title Role Notes1972 Dixon of Dock Green Anne Episode: "The Specialist"1972–1973 General Hospital Student Nurse Katy Shaw 26 episodes1974 A Little Bit of Wisdom Nurse Abbott Episode: "And I Mean That Most Sincerely"1974 Hunter's Walk Claire Briggs Episode: "Witness"1974 Justice Lennie Maxwell Episode: "Point of Death"1975 Public Eye Janet Harper Episode: "Nobody Wants to Know"1976 Angels Pam Baxter Episode: "Round the Clock"1977 Headmaster Clerk of Court Episode: "Stephen"1977 Seven Faces of Woman Maria Episode: "She: A Girl in Gold Shoes"1977 Rising Damp Caroline Armitage 2 episodes1977 Get Some In! Nurse Episode: "Crash Exercise"1978 Wilde Alliance Camilla Episode: "A Question of Research"1978 The Sweeney Salesgirl Episode: "Bait"1978 Wodehouse Playhouse Lady Millicent Shipton-Bellinger Episode: "The Smile That Wins"1979 ITV Playhouse Sandra Episode: "The Quiz Kid"1979 Blake's 7 Inga Episode: "Hostage"1979 How's Your Father? Mavis Wilcox Episode: "Trouble with Shirley"1979 Chalk and Cheese Miss Foster Episode: "Sit Vac"1979 Diary of a Nobody Daisy Mutlar 2 episodes1983 Storyboard Margot Episode: "Secrets"1983–1985 By the Sword Divided Susan Protheroe 12 episodes1986 Chance in a Million Joanna Episode: "Naming the Day"1987 Bergerac Lady Hamer Episode: "S.P.A.R.T.A."1990–1992 On the Up Ruth Carpenter 15 episodes1991 Lovejoy Deborah Wyler Episode: "One Born Every Minute"1997 Next of Kin Angela Episode: "The Club Mistress"1998 Close Relations Mrs. Wilson Episode: #1.52021–2025 Barmy Dale Mildred Wilkins 2021 Simply Ken Alice TV pilot; Post-production
Theatre 1973: Boeing-Boeing – Jacqueline 1973: The French Mistress – Madaleine Lafarge 1974: Tartuffe – Marianne 1975: The Mating Game – Secretary 1975: Relatively Speaking – Ginny 1976: Baggage – Leila 1976: The Ghost Train – Peggy Murdock 1976: The Constant Wife – Marie Louise 1977: A Man for All Seasons – Margaret 1978: Dear Brutus – Joanna Trout 1978: A Murder Is Announced – Julia Simmons 1979: Habeas Corpus – Felicity Rumpers 1979: On Approval – Helen Hale 1980: Iphigenia in Aulis – Iphigenia 1980: La Ronde – Sweet Girl 1981: Romeo and Juliet – Juliet (with the Royal Shakespeare Company) 1981: The Merchant of Venice – Jessica (with the Royal Shakespeare Company) 1981: Timon of Athens – Phrynia (with the Royal Shakespeare Company) 1982: The Swan Down Gloves – Kit the Glovemaker (with the Royal Shakespeare Company) 1983: The School for Scandal – Lady Teazle 1987: The Lover – Sarah 1987: The Prisoner of Zenda – Princess Flavia 1989: Dangerous Corner – Freda Caplan 1989: Last of the Red Hot Lovers – Elaine Navazio 1990: Run for Your Wife – Mary Smith 1990: Whose Wife Is It Anyway? – Jane Worthington 1991: The Drummer – The Lady 1992: The Earl and the Pussycat – Emily Thornton 1993: Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell – Various 1995: The Constant Wife – Marie Louise 1995: Out of Order – Jane Worthington 1996: Private Lives – Amanda 1997: Funny Money – Jean Perkins 1999: Run for Your Wife – Mary Smith 2001: Funny Money – Jean Perkins 2001: Run for Your Wife – Mary Smith 2002: Wife Begins at Forty – Linda Harper 2002: Snakes and Ladders – Faye Spence 2003: It Runs in the Family – Rosemary Mortimore 2003: Wife Begins at Forty – Linda Harper 2004: There Goes the Bride – Ursula 2004: Murder by Misadventure – Emma 2004: Confusions – Various 2004: Relatively Speaking – Sheila 2005: Caught in the Net – Mary Smith 2006: Star Quality – Marion Blake 2007: The Secretary Bird – Liz Walford 2008: Come On, Jeeves – Lady Monica Carmoyle 2009: 'Allo 'Allo! – Michelle Dubois 2010: It's Never Too Late – Linda Bridges 2010: Spring and Port Wine – Daisy Crompton 2011: Cranford – Lady Glenmire 2011: Changing Rooms – Jacqueline 2011: The Art of Concealment: The Life of Terence Rattigan – Vera Rattigan/Aunt Edna 2012: The Art of Concealment: The Life of Terence Rattigan – Vera Rattigan/Aunt Edna 2013: Lady Windermere's Fan – Mrs. Erlynne 2014: Double Death – Lalla Kershaw 2015: Blast from the Past – Julie Tate 2015: The Ghost Train – Miss Bourne 2016: Secondary Cause of Death – Cynthia Maple 2016: Blithe Spirit – Madame Arcati 2016: Blast from the Past – Julie Tate 2017: Trespass – Mrs. Henting 2018: Move Over, Mrs Markham – Linda Lodge 2019: Run for Your Wife – Barbara Smith 2021: Women of Pensionable Rage – Linda Godfrey/Julie Tate/Miriam McKenzie
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