Top actress hopes to inspire others after honorary doctorate
WHAT would Mary Doll make of it? Elaine C Smith, who played the famous Rab C Nesbitt character, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the Open University in Scotland for her services to the arts.
The actor and comedian paid tribute to the “amazing women and men” who have inspired her throughout her career as she joined more than 600 OU graduates at the Glasgow Concert Hall ceremony yesterday.
Lanarkshire-born Smith said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and humbled to be honoured in this way by a truly wonderful and inspirational institution.
“I have been so fortunate in my own life and career to have been inspired by so many amazing women and men who have blazed a trail for all who have come behind. I hope in some small way I have, and will continue to do, the same for others, especially women.
“The Open University works so hard to inspire and so much more every single day and for that we should all be truly grateful.”
Currently starring as foulmouthed Christine in BBC Scotland’s Two Doors Down, Smith’s career spans television, theatre and stand-up comedy.
She was part of the original theatrical cast and was instrumental in the production of the ground-breaking and enduringly popular play The Steamie, and she has been one of the few women to have headlined Scottish pantomime for more than 20 years, opening up opportunities for young female performers to follow in her footsteps. Susan Stewart, director of the Open University in Scotland, said: “Elaine C Smith is one of Scotland’s most recognisable and beloved actors, who has made an exceptional contribution to the arts throughout her long and distinguished career.
“Few performers have brought such joy to our screens for so many years, and few actors can match Elaine’s versatility and verve.
“It is a pleasure to celebrate her unique place in Scottish culture and our national life.”