Cover star: Anita Dobson
Actress Anita Dobson shares the secret to her long, happy marriage, and her thoughts on cosmetic surgery and growing older
While most people will recognise her as feisty Angie Watts from BBC1 soap EastEnders, Anita Dobson has had a very successful and varied career in show business over the past three decades.
When we catch up with Anita, 69, it’s evident that she’s still as enthused as ever by the entertainment industry – especially now that she’s starring in London stage show 3 Women, written by comedienne Katy Brand.
Anita plays the role of Eleanor in a show portraying three generations of females ahead of a family wedding – which, unsurprisingly, brings up a number of past issues. So what drew Anita to the role?
‘I was sent the play to read, and I really liked it. I thought it would be a very interesting adventure,’ she explains. ‘Rehearsals were fun, especially as this is brand new and has never been done before, which is very exciting – it means that you can actually put your stamp on it, and there’s no wrong or right way.’
Anita is used to the pressures of the stage, having previously starred in a number of theatre shows over the years, including West End musicals Chicago, Hello, Dolly! and Wicked.
But, despite her diverse and interesting career, her pivotal role was as EastEnders’ Angie Watts from 1985 until 1988. The nation was hooked as she portrayed the alcoholic, fiery landlady of the Queen Vic, and her turbulent relationship with adulterous husband ‘Dirty’ Den Watts was gripping to the end.
When we quiz Anita over what she regards as her biggest career high, it’s no surprise that Angie comes out on top.
‘Playing Angie changed everything. Instead of going up all the time for auditions, people sent me scripts. Everything became different. I was earning money instead of scrabbling to make a living!
‘I suppose the role came at the right point in my life. I was the right age, I had all the background to her, I knew her. It was a wonderful gift. Playing Angie changed my career and my life.’
Another thing that was sure to be life-changing for Anita in
‘Playing Angie changed everything… I was earning money instead of
scrabbling to make a living’
the 80s was meeting rock band Queen’s lead guitarist Brian May. The couple have been married for nearly 18 years – or, as Anita likes to say, ‘a very looooong time’ – and, as they continue to live in marital bliss, the actress reveals that the secret to her long and happy marriage is that she and Brian, 70, couldn’t be more different.
‘Brian is very serious because he’s a scientist as well as a rock musician, whereas I’m quite… I’m a bit of a giggler, I’m very different, I tend to laugh a lot and chatter a lot,’ she smiles.
‘We’re good for each other. I think that when I was younger I certainly would’ve been a party animal on legs, and he kind of grounded me. But
Brian would get so serious if he never left the house, so I take him out. I guess opposites really attract, don’t they?’
Anita describes life with Brian as ‘delightful’. And, as stepmother to his three children, who have little ones of their own, it’s easy to see why.
‘I’m a step-granny, so the kids have lots of people in their lives, and I don’t see them as much as I’d like. But my stepdaughter Emily has had twins, and they’re like motorised dolls – they’re delightful, but they just don’t stop. It’s wonderful, but exhausting, especially when you get older – which is why grandparents say it’s the best bit, because you can give them back,’ she laughs.
Despite the grandchildren wearing her out from time to time, Anita admits that she’s feeling good about being 69 years old. However, she can’t hide her slight dismay at the prospect of reaching the next big milestone next year.
‘I’m not looking forward to being 70 – somehow, it has a rather distasteful ring to it,’ she confides. ‘Brian is already
‘Brian is very serious because he’s a scientist as well as a rock musician,
whereas I’m a bit of a giggler’
past 70, he’s coming up to 71 this year. So, yeah, we are getting old. And, it’s shocking when you suddenly start to think, “Oh, my gosh, what’s lying ahead?”
‘But there’s nothing you can do about it, and everybody is heading the same way, so you have to kind of just say…well, you know, it’s just the way of the world.’
Being in the entertainment industry, ageing seems to be something that’s highlighted a lot more. But, despite the fact that work is still coming in thick and fast for Anita – she’s lined up for some TV work later this year and also has a secret project planned for next year – looking older is something that she admits has played on her mind – and she tells us that she’s even considered plastic surgery.
‘I’m not going to say I’ve never thought about it – it absolutely fascinates me,’ Anita reveals. ‘But, for me, I’m an actress first and foremost, and I don’t want to go down the route of plastic surgery.
‘I think at 69, with a good career, a good marriage and good friends, why would I bother? I mean, I’m doing all right the way I am and I’m happy with my life!’