Eileen Pollock

Eileen Pollock (18 May 1947 – 19 December 2020)[1][2] was a Northern Irish actress whose work included political theatre, pantomime, and the role of Lilo Lil in television series Bread.

For the American writer best known for the television series "Dynasty", see Eileen Pollock (writer). For the UK TV soap character, see Eileen Pollock (Emmerdale).

Eileen Pollock
Born(1947-05-18)18 May 1947
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died19 December 2020(2020-12-19) (aged 73)
London, England
NationalityNorthern Irish
OccupationActress
Years active1982–2019
TelevisionPlay for Tomorrow (1982)
Summer Season (1985)
Bread (1987–91)
Taggart (1993)
The Bill (1995)

Early life

Pollock was born in Belfast,[3] and studied languages at Queen's University Belfast.[4] Before her acting career she was a technical translator, working in London.[5] Her first theatrical work was as ASM at the Bush Theatre, London.[4]

Career

She is probably best known for playing the part of 'Lilo' Lill in Carla Lane's television comedy Bread in 1986-1991, and in 2004 she said: "I like it when someone says in a supermarket 'you know who you remind me of, don't take offence, that tart from Bread'."[5]

She was involved in the political theatre company Belt and Braces, but felt it provided too few roles for women so founded Bloomers and later Camouflage, writing several plays for the latter. She also worked with Irish companies Field Day, Charabanc and DubbelJoint, among many other touring and repertory companies.[4]

She has also appeared in such productions as Easter 2016 in the Play for Tomorrow series (1982), After You've Gone (1984), Far and Away (1992), and Wild About Harry, in 2000. She appeared in the film version of Frank McCourt's book, Angela's Ashes, and played "Molly", the landlady in Far and Away (1992) with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, director Ron Howard.[1][3] In 2010 she played Miss Kessler in Reg Traviss's Psychosis, and in 2016 she played the mother of a child with Down's syndrome in Duncan Paveling's My Feral Heart.[1]

Stage productions in which she has had roles include The Government Inspector, Women on the verge of HRT by Marie Jones, Three Sisters (translation by Brian Friel) as well as Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa.[6] In 2016 at The Print Room she played Bridget in Peter Gill's As Good a Time As Any, an all-women play.[1]

Pollock performed a one-woman show Now I'm Sixty at Liverpool Academy Of Art Actors Studio in 2007, and in 2010 directed and "took a scene stealing guest credit" in The Irish Wake of Paddy McGrath at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre, London.[1]

In 2004 she played the wicked witch in the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk in Middlesbrough. This was her fifth pantomime, fulfilling a childhood ambition to appear in panto. She said "The wicked witch is wonderful because I can't stand children and making them want to cry and scream is a wonderful battle of wits."[5]

In 2009, she appeared on The Justin Lee Collins Show.[7]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Director Notes
1987 All Men Are Created Equal (voice) Monique Renault Short film
1992 Far and Away Molly Kay Ron Howard
1999 A Love Divided Helen Pottinger Sydney Macartney
1999 Angela's Ashes Mrs. Finucane Alan Parker
2000 Wild About Harry Magistrate Declan Lowney
2010 Psychosis Miss Kessler Reg Traviss
2013 Are You Albert? Grandma Dan Hodgson Short film
2014 50 Kisses Mary Older (voice) Melody Smith Segment: "60 Year Valentine"
2016 My Feral Heart Joan Jane Gull
2017 Make Aliens Dance Lilli Sébastien Petretti Short film
2019 Love Type D Dinner Lady Sasha Collington

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1982 Play for Tomorrow Clare Williams 1.06 "Easter 2016"
1984 After You've Gone Elizabeth Television film
1984 Four Days in July Carmel Television film
1984 The Hidden Curriculum Ruby Television film
1985 Summer Season Gilly Shaughnessy 1.09 "Time Trouble"
1985 Travelling Man Elsa Jackson 2.05 "On the Hook"
1987-1991 Bread Lilo Lill 43 episodes
1989 Dear Sarah Mary Kelly Television film
1991 Children of the North Fiona Moran 1.03 "City of Maloch"
1.04 "A Darkness in the Eye"
1992 Screenplay Crisp and Dry 7.02 "Force of Duty"
1992 Civvies Kathleen 1.05 "Episode Five"
1993 Taggart Deedee O'Donnell 9.07 "Death Without Dishonour: Part One"
1995 Harry Mrs. O'Reilly 2.05 "Episode Five"
1995 The Bill Jane Rose 11.39 "Swan Song"
2001 High Stakes Cleaner 1.02 "An Act of Defiance"
2005 Pure Mule Sally Hannigan 1.05 "Deirdre"
2009 Pure Mule: The Last Weekend Mrs. Hannigan Television miniseries

References
  1. "Eileen Pollock". Ulster Actors. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  2. Graham, Seanín (23 December 2020). "Renowned Belfast actress Eileen Pollock best known for 'Lilo Lil' role remembered as 'extraordinary woman'". The Irish News. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  3. "Eileen Pollock". BFI. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  4. "Eileen Pollock". Unfinished Histories. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  5. Hardwick, Viv (25 November 2004). "Lily tickled pink by panto". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  6. "Eileen Pollock". Playography Ireland. Irish Theatre Institute. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  7. "The Justin Lee Collins Show Series 1, Episode 7". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
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