Cleo Sylvestre, the trailblazing actress, has passed away at the age of 79. Her agent confirmed that Sylvestre, the first black actress to play a leading role at the National Theatre and to have a regular leading role in a UK soap opera, Crossroads, would be missed by so many.
Sylvestre’s TV appearances included Grange Hill and the Channel 5 reboot of All Creatures Great and Small. She had a brief singing career and sang To Know Him is to Love Him in 1964, with The Rolling Stones as her backing singers. In September 2022, she appeared on an episode of The Antiques Roadshow, where she discussed her time with the famous band.
Born in Camden, north London, in April 1945, Sylvestre made her West End debut at Wyndham’s Theatre in Wise Child in 1967, written by Simon Gray. The actress became the first black woman to have a leading role in a National Theatre production in 1969 with Peter Nichols’ satire The National Health. Her screen credits included several TV series such as Till Death Do Us Part, Doctors, Coronation Street, The Bill, New Tricks, and Doctor Who as well as a regular role in the school drama Grange Hill. She worked extensively with Ken Loach, working on films such as Poor Cow, Cathy Come Home, and Up the Junction.
In Some Women, a dramatisation of real-life stories from imprisoned women shown on BBC Two, Sylvestre was spotted by TV producer Reg Watson. He cast her on ITV’s Crossroads, where she played Meg Richardson’s adopted daughter Melanie in the soap opera from 1970 to 1972. At its peak, Crossroads had about 15 million viewers, bringing Sylvestre to a national audience.
Sylvestre was awarded an MBE in the 2023 New Year Honours for her services to drama and charity. Her agent confirmed the news of her death on Friday morning, and her death was met with tributes on Twitter and across social media, describing her as a trailblazer and a true friend who had contributed significantly to the arts
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