Stars remember ‘lovely’ Royle Family actor Smith who died soon after show’s writer
TRIBUTES have been paid to the “great” Royle Family actress Liz Smith following her death on Christmas Eve.
She died just five months after the sitcom’s writer Caroline Aherne, who starred as her on-screen granddaughter. Ralf Little, who played Smith’s grandson in the BBC programme, tweeted: “Devastating to lose two members of my second family in one awful year. RIP Liz Smith. Goodbye Nana. Xxx”
Sue Johnston has revealed how she “loved being recognised” by fans as she praised “extraordinary” late actress in a touching tribute. Johnston, who played her on-screen daughter Barbara in the series, said she was not like her Royle Family character Nana, but “she was fun”.
She described Smith, 95, as an “extraordinary, sensitive woman and very bright” on BBC 5 Live Daily.
Ricky Tomlinson who played Johnson’s husband in the series, said: “She was wonderful. Actually she was my favourite character in the Royles. She would come in on her days off and just sit there, and of course I’d take the Mickey out of her because she always came in at lunchtime. I’d say, ‘you’re like your character, you, anything for nothing, you come because it’s lunchtime!’. And she was absolutely lovely.”
Director Mike Leigh, who cast Smith in his debut feature film Bleak Moments – her first professional role – also praised her, saying: “I was always a bit cautious. But from the moment I met her she was a complete breath of fresh air.
“She had no ‘thesp’ cobwebs about her at all.”