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June Brown (born February 16, 1927 in Suffolk) is an English actress and director, best known as Dot Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders — a role for which she was recommended by one of its original cast members, Leslie Grantham, who played the show's villain, Den Watts. Dot is one of the longest-running characters in EastEnders; June has played the role from 1985 to 1993, and then again from 1997 onwards. Initially brought in for short period of time to compliment the storyline of her screen son, Nick Cotton, being accused of murder, June's performance was so appreciated by the audience and Dot's character so popular, that she was very soon kept on for the duration.

June served in the Wrens and was classically trained at The Old Vic Drama School. She has had a long television career, with small roles in Coronation Street as Mrs Parsons (1970); in the Doctor Who story "The Time Warrior" (1974), playing Lady Eleanor Fitzroy), medical soap Angels, history-of-Britain Churchill's People, long-running comedy drama Minder, police soap The Bill, and cult sci-fi series Survivors. She also had a bigger part as Mrs Leyton in the very popular costume drama The Duchess of Duke Street (1976), and played Mrs Mann in Oliver Twist (1985).

As well as playing Dot Cotton in EastEnders, June has also starred in the wartime big band comedy Ain't Misbehavin (1997), and played Nanny Slagg in the BBC's big-budget production of Gormenghast in 2000. She had a number of small roles in several famous movies, appearing as the grieving mother of an undead biker in British horror flick Psychomania (1971), as well as Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), Straw Dogs (1971), Murder By Decree (1979), Nijinsky (1980), The Mambo Kings (1992), and Bean (1997), the hugely successful spin-off of Mr. Bean.

June has also been active in British theatre, directing Pin Money (by Malcolm Needs) in London, and Double D in London and Edinburgh. She also played Mrs Danvers in a production of Rebecca. Other plays include An Inspector Calls, The Lion in Winter, A View from the Bridge, and numerous pantomimes including The Witches-in which her sister also performed.

Initially a highly unsympathetic character in EastEnders - sanctimonious, judgemental and two-faced - she has matured into the best loved character in the programme, a 'mother earth' figure who anyone can go to in times of need.

June received a Lifetime Achievement award at the 2005 British Soap Awards, presented by her close friend Anna Wing, formerly EastEnders' Lou Beale). In 2006, June appeared as Aunt Spiker at the Children's Party At The Palace, an all-star event to celebrate the Queen's 80th birthday.

Marriages

• 1) John Garley (1950-57).
• 2) Bob Arnold (1958-2003); they had six children, though the youngest died in infancy.

Acting roles

Film

• Bean: The Movie (1997)
• The Mambo Kings (1992)
• Nijinsky (1980)
• Murder by Decree (1979)
• Straw Dogs (1971)
• Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)

Television

• Angels
• Churchill's People
• Coronation Street (1970)
• Doctor Who, as Lady Eleanor of Wessex in The Time Warrior
• The Duchess of Duke Street
• EastEnders (1985 - 1993, 1997 - present)
• Gormenghast
• Margery and Gladys (2003)
• Oliver Twist (1985)
• Survivors
• The Sweeney

Theatre

• An Inspector Calls
• Nightshade
• The Lion in Winter
• Hedda Gabler
• Rebecca

Directed

• Double D (play)

Trivia

• Ms. Brown is a smoker; she sang her own husky version of the carol "Little Donkey" on Top of the Pops. Although (unfairly) critically derided, the song was from the heart, as June runs a sanctuary that cares for distressed donkeys. She is only allowed to smoke on the set of the programme because her cigarettes are such an integral part of the character.
• She is a follower of the Church of Christ, Scientist. In the programme, her character Dot is seen to be a very devoted Christian, often sanctimoniously so.
• She was a very lovely woman in her youth, her beauty being lauded by the famous actor Nigel Hawthorne when he saw her grace the stage in Hedda Gabler.
• Whenever Dot quotes from The Bible (always quoting Chapter and Verse afterwards) these sections are added by June herself and not the scriptwriters.
• June's first husband, John Garley, tragically killed himself in 1957. June was the person who found his body. She has often spoken candidly - and movingly - about this.

External links

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