Jean Boht (née Dance; 6 March 1932 – 12 September 2023) was an English actress, most famous for the role of Nellie Boswell in Carla Lane's sitcom Bread, one of several actors to remain with the show for its entire seven-series tenure from 1986 to 1991.
Early life Boht was born as Jean Dance on 6 March 1932 in Bebington, then in Cheshire, to Thomas Dance, a confectionery-importer and chief entertainment officer of the local fire brigade, and pianist Edna May "Teddy", née Macdonald. She was educated at Wirral Grammar School for Girls.Miss Jean Boht Authorised Biography Debrett's People of Today. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
Career Boht trained at the Liverpool Playhouse, where she started her career as a theatre actress, before touring the United Kingdom in stage roles, working in numerous West End Theatres including the Royal National Theatre and the Bristol Old Vic. In a career spanning from 1962 to 2018, she appeared largely in television productions. These included guesting parts in television spots Softly, Softly (1971), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1978), Grange Hill (1978), Last of the Summer Wine (1978), Boys from the Blackstuff (1982), Scully (1984) and Juliet Bravo in the mid-1980s.
It was through her regular role in the sitcom Bread (1986–91), as matriarch Nellie Boswell, that Boht found her largest audience, with the series attracting some 20 million viewers.
In 1989, Boht was the subject of This Is Your Life, and in 2008 she made a guest appearance in BBC One's daytime TV soap Doctors.
Boht starred in The Brighton Belles, an unsuccessful British adaptation of the American sitcom The Golden Girls as the character of Josephine, based on Sophia Petrillo, the part made famous by Estelle Getty.
On stage, Boht appeared with Jeremy Irons in Embers (2006) at the Duke of York's Theatre in London.
Boht also appeared in the film Mothers and Daughters (2004), and starred in Chris Shepherd's award-winning short film Bad Night for the Blues (2010).
Personal life, illness and death
Her first marriage to William Boht ended in divorce. She married the American-British conductor and composer Carl Davis on 28 December 1970. They had two daughters, filmmakers Hannah (born 1972) and Jessie (born 1974). Boht and Davis were executive producers on Hannah Davis's film The Understudy and they appeared in the film as a married couple. Davis died on 3 August 2023, just six weeks before Boht herself.
Boht was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. She was a resident at Denville Hall, a retirement home in Northwood, London, for actors and other members of the entertainment industry.
Boht died from complications of dementia on 12 September 2023, aged 91.
Awards Boht won a British Comedy Award (now known as the "National Comedy Awards") for Best Comedy Actress in 1990.
Filmography
Film YearFilm Role Director Notes1978Rapunzel Let Down Your HairMotherSusan ShapiroEsther RonayFrancine Winham1988Distant Voices, Still LivesAunty NellTerence Davies1988The Girl in a SwingMrs. TaswellGordon Hessler1994Heaven's a DragMrs. DownsPeter Mackenzie Litten2000The AsylumMrs. BrindleJohn Stewart2004Mothers & DaughtersMaryDavid ConollyHannah Davis2007TugKathleenDavid Andrew WardShort film2007SmallfilmAdaRichard LawrenceShort film2008The UnderstudyMrs. DavidovitzDavid ConollyHannah Davis2009KinMumBrian Welsh2009To Cancer and BeyondMrs. TaggertVeronica WalshShort film2010Bad Night for the BluesGladChris ShepherdShort film2018BrexicutedShort filmChris Shepherd
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1968Mr. RoseWoman3.01 "The Less-Than-Iron-Duke"1970SceneMrs. Potter3.04 "£60 Single, £100 Return"1971Softly, Softly: Task ForceMrs. Lacey2.22 "Games"1973Six Days of JusticeMrs. Taylor2.02 "A Clear-Cut Case"1973Ego HugoMadame Mars-GeorgeTelevision film1973Z-CarsClerk of the Court9.08 "The Cinder Path"1975CouplesMrs. Bannister6 episodes1976Where Adam StoodMary TeagueTelevision film1976Bill BrandEdna Copple1.10 "Revisions"1977Esther WatersMrs. Spires1.02 "Episode Two"1977Last of the Summer WineMaureen4.05 "Who Made a Bit of a Splash in Wales Then?"1978Grange HillFirst Shop Assistant1.05 "Episode Five"1978The SweeneyWoman Neighbour4.11 "Hearts and Mind"1978Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'EmMrs. Lewis3.01 "Moving House"3.03 "Scottish Dancing"1979Mother Nature's BloomersVarious characters6 episodes1981Sons and LoversMrs. LeiversTelevision miniseries1981Funny ManElsie13 episodes1981Juliet BravoMrs. Stannard2.04 "Lies and Liars"1982TriangleMrs. Carter7 episodes1982Juliet BravoMrs. Fairchild3.07 "Nothing to Report"1982Boys from the BlackstuffD.O.E. - Miss Sutcliffe1.03 "Shop Thy Neighbour"1983Goodnight and God BlessDoris1.05 "Ronnie's Wonderful Day"1983MayburyLucy Wildego2.06 "Love's Labour: Part 1"1983SpyshipMrs. SilversTelevision miniseries1983Juliet BravoMrs. Jackson4.12 "Off Duty"1983BergeracMrs. Farrell3.03 "Holiday Snaps"1984ScullyGranTelevision miniseries1984Arthur's Hallowed GroundBettyTelevision film1985–1986I Woke Up One MorningMrs. Hamilton8 episodes1986–1991BreadNellie Boswell74 episodes1987Agatha Christie's Miss MarpleMadame Joliet1.09 "4:50 from Paddington"1988ScreenplayMrs. Bing3.04 "Eskimos Do It"1992The Cloning of Joanna MayMrs. LoveTelevision miniseries1992CluedoSister Concepta3.05 "And Then There Were Nuns"1993Comedy PlayhouseJosephine1.03 "Brighton Belles: Pilot"1993–1994Brighton BellesJosephine11 episodes1995The Big GameMrs. HarperTelevision film1996Jim's GiftMrs. LeaverTelevision film1998CasualtyLil Clarke13.15 "No Place Like Home"2000DoctorsSylvia Wharton1.27 "Loose Ends"1.32 "Twist of Fate"1.41 "To Have and to Hold"2002Holby CityAnita Reynolds4.31 "Hearts and Minds"2003The BillWinnie Kettering19.48 "123: High Speed Chaos"2003Trial & RetributionFemale Neighbour7.02 "Suspicion: Part 2"2005Celebrate 'Oliver!' Widow CorneyTelevision film2006DoctorsJean Clarkson8.105 "Before the Fall"2007Holby CityRosemary Mulligan9.34 "Another Country"2007The BillRose Harrison23.59 "Deadly Secrets"2008DoctorsNorah Joyce10.107 "Ben and Norah"2009CasualtyDorothy Gilbert23.45 "Ashes"2010MissingBarbara Mansfield2.08 "Proving the Point"2010DoctorsBillie Cannon12.84 "A Call of Nature"2011SkinsDoreen5.08 "Everyone"2011JusticeMrs. Roden1.02 "Like Father Like Son"2012CasualtyDoris Quinn26.21 "The Only One You Love"2012DoctorsDoreen Bennett14.70 "Good Citizens"
Video games Year Title Role Notes 1996 The Animals of Farthing WoodVoice
References
External links