Françoise Pascal is a Mauritius-British actress, singer, dancer, fashion model, and producer. She appeared in numerous film and television productions at her peak throughout the late 1960s to early 1980s.
Career
Acting Pascal's earliest films were Norman J. Warren's Loving Feeling and Pete Walker's School for Sex (both 1969), and she also appeared in a scene in Incense for the Damned (1970). She also played Paola in There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) with Peter Sellers. She also performed in Burke & Hare. (1972), playing Marie, and another Sellers film, Soft Beds, Hard Battles (1974).
After that appearance, she moved to France where she starred in such films as Et si tu n'en Veux Pas (1974) and Les Raisins de la Mort (1978), directed by Jean Rollin. Later she returned to England to appear in Keep It Up Downstairs (1976) alongside Diana Dors, Jack Wild, and Mary Millington.
Her first television work came in October 1971 with a role in Coronation Street, playing Ray Langton's friend. Then came guest starring roles in an episode of Play of the Month for the BBC in "Don Quixote" (1973) with Rex Harrison and for ITV's Sunday Night Theatre "Giants & Ogres" (1971). She was cast in guest starring appearances in many television comedy series such as Happy Ever After (1976) with Terry Scott and June Whitfield, as well as My Honourable Mrs (1975) with Derek Nimmo for the BBC. She co-starred in an episode of the thriller You're on Your Own starring Denis Quilley, for the BBC.
She played Danielle Favre in the first three series of the ITV sitcom Mind Your Language (1977–79); she then took on her stage roles in Happy Birthday (reuniting with Frazer Hines), and starring in a pantomime of Aladdin. Pascal left for the United States in 1980, where she acted in Hollywood, returning to England in 1987.
In 2015, Pascal joined the cast for a new comedy series called For the Love of Ella. The series also starred Ewen Macintosh, Bobby Ball, Alex Reid, Daniel Peacock, Melanie Sykes, Darren Day, and Billy Pearce.
Pascal is set to appear in and produce her first film Cold Sun, directed by Jason Figgis and starring Tara Reid, Patrick Bergin, and Ian Ogilvy, through her own MFC Productions Ltd and Pascal Productions Ltd.
In recent years Pascal has introduced a regular music show on Radio Free Marseille.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1968 Loving Feeling Model film debutSympathy For The DevilSelf documentary 1969School for SexSally Reagan 1970 There’s A Girl In My Soup Paola 1971 Incense For The Damned uncreditedThe Anatomy of a Pin-UpSelf documentary shortThe Beloveduncredited 1972 Burke & Hare Marie 1973 The Iron Rose La femme 1974 Soft Beds, Hard Battles Madeline 1976 Le Body Shop Margot Keep It Up Downstairs Mimi Private Lives Louise television film1978The Grapes of DeathTrain passengerscenes deleted1986 Lighting White Stallion Marie Ward Leeman1986My Man AdamSeductive Woman at Bar 2013 Symbols and Signs Isabellashort film 2015For The Love of Ella Maitre’dtelevision film2016Respectable: The Mary Millington StoryHerself documentary film 2020 Jeepers Creepers Fantasy Lover voice 2021 Cold Sun Madeline Bouvieralso producer
Television Year Title Role Notes 1971 Coronation Street Françoise Dubois 1 episodeITV Saturday Night Theatre Secretary1 episode1972Go GirlMartineunaired series1972–1973BBC Play of the MonthHarlot/Rosa González 2 episodes1974Napoleon and LoveElzunia1 episodeLate Night DramaCynthia Crumpet1 episode1975You’re On Your OwnSuzanne Fermont1 episodeMy Honorable MrsAnna-Maria1 episodeRule Britanna!Colette1 episode1976The BrothersThérèse d’Alamber2 episodesHappy Ever AfterMichelle1 episodeWhat’s on Next?Self1 episode1977Whodunnit Vere Le Grand1 episode1977–1979Mind Your Language Danielle Favre29 episodes1978Celebrity SquaresHerself4 episodesThose Wonderful TV TimesHerself 1 episode1979Blankety BlankHerself1 episode1980The Dick Emery HourHerself TV special 1981Mike Yarwood In PersonsLouise1 episodePunchlines!Herself1 episode1982GavilanCarla1 episode1995Doing Rude ThingsHerselfDocumentary TV movie
Discography Title Year Album"When It Comes To Love"1968When It Comes To Love/Got It Badly-Single"Got It Badly""Woman Is Free"1979Woman Is Free-Single"Symphony Just For Me""I Can’t Get Enough"1981I Can’t Get Enough-Single"Make Love To Me"
Personal life Pascal had a child, Nicholas Johnson, with actor Richard Johnson in 1976 the same year he divorced his third wife and married his fourth.
On 4 December 2010, she joined Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood at Claygate Village to turn on the village Christmas lightsLuke Jacobs, "Ronnie Wood lights up Claygate for Christmas", Surrey News, 7 December 2010. and sing a solo of "Silent Night".
In December 2012, Pascal took part in the ITV1 programme Storage Hoarders, in which she sorted and sold at auction some of her more valuable possessions which she had kept in storage for months.
One of Pascal's closest friends was British actress, Lynne Frederick. She first became acquainted with Frederick in 1972, when they co-starred on an episode of the television anthology series, BBC Play of the Month. The two actresses quickly became "firm friends" and frequently saw each other during the height of their careers in the 1970s. Pascal recalled that they regretfully lost contact in 1977 after Frederick married Peter Sellers. Frederick died in 1994. In April 2020, a few weeks before the 26th anniversary of Frederick's death, Pascal tweeted a photo of herself and Frederick, with the caption "I think of her very often! Always had that fresh baby face! RIP Lynne! Xxx".
References
Further reading As I Am , Published by Pegasus Elliot McKenzie (2012) Sheridan, Simon. Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema (2011, fourth edition), Titan Publishing, London.
External links