Jane Horrocks

As well known for her stage and screen roles as for her ability to mimic the singing voices of the 20th century's greatest vocalists, Jane Horrocks was a delicate force of nature on both stage and screen. Born in the village of Rawtenstall in England, Horrocks attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and soon joined with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She would later go on to appear in a number of prominent plays at the Hampstead Theatre between 1985 and 1989, including "Ask for the Moon," "A Collier's Friday Night," "Valued Friends," and "The Debutante Ball." She broke into film in a big way with her role in the comedy drama "Life is Sweet" (1991) in 1991, and took on the memorable role of Bubble on the beloved British comedy series "Absolutely Fabulous" (BBC, 1992-2012) the following year. She would also find her career-defining role that year, when Sam Mendes wrote the role of LV in the play "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice" for her, utilizing her staggering ability to mimic the singing voices of vocalists like Shirley Bassey, Judy Garland, and Marilyn Monroe. The play was a great success, and she followed it with still more impressive stage roles, such as the lead in "Cabaret" at the Donmar Warehouse. Horrocks reprised the role of LV for the big screen adaptation "Little Voice" (1998), but soon returned to the stage with a starring role in "Sweet Panic" on the West End. She would memorably star in the mini-series "The Amazing Mrs Pritchard" (BBC, 2006), and earned major praise for her starring role in "Annie Get Your Gun" at the Young Vic in 2009. In 2016, Horrocks appeared in the West End production "If You Kiss Me, Kiss Me," which featured her singing songs from the bands that inspired her during her youth, including The Smiths, The Buzzcocks, and The Human League. That same year, she reprised her best known TV role in "Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie" (2016).