Anita Eileen Carey (16 April 1948 – 19 July 2023) was an English actress. She appeared in British television programmes from the 1970s, with her first notable appearances including roles in Beryl's Lot, The History of Mr. Polly, The Spoils of War, and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?. She then played Joyce Smedley in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 1996 to 1997. After further appearances in various series, she joined the cast of the BBC soap opera Doctors as Vivien March in 2007. She stayed in the role for two years, during which her character was involved in a rape scene that won her the British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance in 2009.

Early life Anita Eileen Carey was born on 16 April 1948, in Halifax, to Sidney Carey, a postal worker, and Louisa Crowther. She was brought up in Brighouse and upon leaving Holmfirth Secondary Modern School at 14, she worked as a typist for a carpet firm. At the same time, she acted with a drama club run by Esme Church at Bradford Civic Playhouse. Aged 19, Carey and her then fiancé, Steve Hodson, successfully auditioned to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama, which she attended from 1967 to 1970.

Career Carey's first professional role was in a theatre production at the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe. Some of Carey's early roles were in programmes such as Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, I Didn't Know You Cared, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? and Ripping Yarns. In Coronation Street, Carey appeared in the part of Joyce Smedley from 1996 to 1997. In 2006, Carey had a small role as a voice actress playing Venat in the PlayStation 2 game Final Fantasy XII.

Carey then played the role of receptionist Vivien March in the BBC soap opera Doctors from 17 May 2007 to 20 March 2009. After a storyline involving Vivien being raped aired, Carey was awarded the British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance at the 2009 British Soap Awards. The story also won Best Storyline, as well as the episode of the rape, "A Kind of Hush", winning Best Single Episode. In 2018, the storyline was once again recognised at the British Soap Awards, being nominated for Greatest Moment. In 2013, she appeared as Gower in Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Personal life and death In 1973 Carey was appearing in a stage production in Sheffield when she met the actor Mark Wing-Davey, a member of the company there. The two began living together the following year. They married in 2002. The pair had two children together. After Wing-Davey took a job in the U.S., they moved there together and she began appearing in American stage productions.

Carey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and died on 19 July 2023, aged 75.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1971 Kate Shirley Recurring role 1971–1972 Z-Cars Jill / Pam Rutherford Guest roles 1972 Please Sir! Air Hostess Episode: "The Fixer" 1972 Queenie's Castle Francis Episode: "England Expects" 1973 ITV Sunday Night Theatre Sue Episode: "But Freud, Freud is Dead" 1973 The Flaxton Boys Billie Shackleton Episode: "1945: Welcome Home, Tommy Atkins" 1973–1974 Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? Susan Chambers Recurring role 1974 Billy Liar Susan Episode: "Billy and the Alter Ego" 1974 Marked Personal Sara Bennett 2 episodes 1974 Dixon of Dock Green Carol Hayward Episode: "The Long Memory" 1974 Napoleon and Love Françoise Episode: "Eleonore" 1974 Centre Play Lorraine Episode: "Mutinies" 1974 Horizon Joey's Mother Episode: "Joey" 1974, 1976 One-Upmanship Various Main role 1975 The Loner Mave Episode: "Dawson's Encounter" 1975–1976 I Didn't Know You Cared Pat Main role 1975, 1977 Beryl's Lot Babs Humphries Main role 1977 Ripping Yarns Irene Olthwaite Episode: "The Testing of Eric Olthwaite" 1978 Play of the Month Ms H1B Episode: "Mr & Ms Bureaucrat" 1978 Some Enchanted Evening Television film 1978 Premiere Amanda Episode: "Something's Wrong" 1978 Coronation Street Brenda Summers Guest role 1979 Strangers Edna Episode: "Clever Dick" 1979–1980 Play for Today Jill / Sharon 2 episodes 1980 The History of Mr. Polly Mrs Polly / Miriam Main role 1980 Juliet Bravo Melisande Duffy Episode: "Cages" 1980–1981 The Spoils of War Martha Blaze Main role 1981 Roger Doesn't Live Here Anymore Woman in market 1 episode 1982 Andy Robson Elsie Ritson Episode: "Flare Up" 1984 Miracles Take Longer Patti Blakeston Episode: "Frankie and Johnnie" 1986 First Among Equals Joyce Gould Main role 1990 A Kind of Living Linda Main role 1991 Poirot Miss Rawlinson Episode: "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor" 1992 The Good Guys Miss Treasure Episode: "Verschwinden" 1992 Virtual Murder Chief Inspector Grant Episode: "Last Train to Hell & Back" 1993, 2003 Heartbeat Helen Rawlings / Babs Crane 3 episodes 1993 The Bill Jean Episode: "A Better Life" 1996 Band of Gold Glennis Minkin Guest role 1996–1997 Coronation Street Joyce Smedley Regular role 1998 Still Crazy Tax Woman Film 2000 The Wyvern Mystery Mrs Carew Television film 2001 Perfect Strangers Sibling's Mother Recurring role 2002 Rescue Me Carol Chatwin Recurring role 2002 Where the Heart Is Maggie Flannigan Episode: "United We Stand" 2003 Crust Receptionist Film 2004 Last of the Summer Wine Mavis Episode: "Spores" 2005 The Murder Room Tally Clutton Guest role 2005 Midsomer Murders Barbara Flux Episode: "The House in the Woods" 2005 Doctors Shirley Carver Episode: "Lost for Words" 2005 Casualty Faye Skinner Episode: "Enough's Enough" 2006 The State Within Pauline Recurring role 2007–2009 Doctors Vivien March Regular role 2011 Candlesticks Mother Short film 2018 The Last Witness Joan Caldercott Film Sources:

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2008 British Soap Awards Best Actress Doctors 2009 British Soap Awards Best Actress Doctors 2009 British Soap Awards Best Dramatic Performance Doctors

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