Where are they now?
Of all the blonde actresses to grace our TV screens in the Sixties and Seventies, they didn’t come more glamorous or gorgeous than Annette Andre. She starred in The Saint, The Baron, The Persuaders and The Prisoner but her most famous role was that of Jeannie Hopkirk, wife of the deceased, white-suited Marty in the popular TV detective series, Randall and Hopkirk Deceased.
“It was a wonderful show to work on,” Annette recalls. “Kenneth Cope who played Marty and Mike Pratt who played Jeff became very good friends of mine. We all got on so well that we got more comedy into it than had been intended. There was such a happy atmosphere on set that other actors who were working on other productions nearby would come and hang out with us.”
Australian-born Annette (79) has very fond memories of TV shows in the Sixties and Seventies. “There were so many innovative shows being made – you were never out of work for long,” she says. “Working with Sir Roger Moore in The Saint was another absolute joy. He became a very good friend and everyone who worked with him always wanted to do their best because he was so special. Patrick MacNee from the Avengers was another absolute gent.”
On to an entirely different subject, Annette reveals how in the early Seventies comedian Benny Hill asked her to become his wife.
“That came as a shock,” she laughs. “Benny and I had worked together and become friends. We just gelled, laughed a lot and he was very kind and sweet. One day, he popped the question. I didn’t know how to handle it. In his own way, Benny pretended it was
Randall and Hopkirk actress ANNETTE
ANDRE shares memories of working on the popular Sixties TV show about a detective and his ghostly partner, and an unexpected proposal from Benny Hill…
all fun, just a bit of joke. I didn’t realise just how much it actually affected him. I read something later by his brother, which said it had broken his heart. I really didn’t realise it had gone that far.”
In the Eighties Annette joined the cast of Crossroads, playing Sarah Alexander.
“I was working with my great friend Sue Lloyd who played Barbara Hunter,” laughs Annette. “As part of my storyline I had to seduce David Hunter, Barbara’s husband, who was played by Sue’s real-life husband, Ronald Allen. During our scenes, Sue would stand out of shot on the set, making comments. We laughed a lot. It was such fun.”
After Crossroads, Annette and her American husband, writer and producer Arthur Weingarten, relocated to the USA with their daughter, Anouska. They lived in upstate New York for many years before moving to California where they now spend most of their time.
These days, Annette spends as much time as she can with her daughter and two grandchildren, Jake (9) and Nia (7). She also enjoys painting in oils. So, would she say she’s retired from acting?
“Not at all. I’d love to do something if the right part came along. But I know I’ll never see days like the Sixties and Seventies again. For me, it really was a Golden Age.”