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Fenella Fielding (born Fenella Marion Feldman; 17 November 1927 – 11 September 2018) was an English stage, film and television actress who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, and was often referred to as "England's first lady of the double entendre". She was known for her seductive image and distinctively husky voice. Fielding appeared in two Carry On films, Carry On Regardless (1961) and Carry On Screaming! (1966).
She was the younger sister of Basil, later Baron Feldman. She grew up in Lower Clapton and later Edgware where she attended North London Collegiate School. She attended Madame Behenna’s dance school in Stamford Hill. Her father at one time managed a cinema in Silvertown, east London. She later resided in Chiswick, west London.
Fielding later starred in her own television programme Izeena (1966). She had occasional guest appearances in television programmes such as The AvengersRogers, D. (1989). The complete Avengers: everything you ever wanted to know about The Avengers and the New avengers. New York: St. Martins Press, p. 88 (after being passed over as Patrick Macnee's regular partner in favour of Honor Blackman)Cornell, P., Day, M., & Topping, K. (1998). The Avengers dossier. London: Virgin. "Three actors were shortlisted for: Fenella Fielding... Honor Blackman... and Nyree Dawn Porter..." and in Danger Man. She appeared in four episodes of Morecambe and Wise Show between 1969 and 1972. She was in two of the Carry On films, the second was her role as the vampish Valeria in Carry On Screaming ! (1966), and three of the Doctor films (including Doctor in Clover). She interspersed these with performances in plays by Henrik Ibsen, Shakespeare and Henry James, reputedly keeping an edition of Plato's writings by her bed. Other theatre credits around this time included Sheridan and Chekhov. In 1977 she appeared on BBC TV's long running show, The Good Old Days performing 'Noel Gay' and 'How'd You Like to Spoon with Me?'.
Fielding was the uncredited Village announcer in The Prisoner (1967–68), and co-starred with Tom Poston and Robert Morley in the remake of The Old Dark House (1963). In Dougal and the Blue Cat, based on The Magic Roundabout, she voiced the character of the Blue Voice, referred to as "Madam" by both Buxton (the blue cat of the title) and Dougal at various stages throughout the film. In the late 1960s, Fielding was approached by Federico Fellini to work on one of his films, but turned the work down because she was already booked to perform on stage at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
Fielding also starred in the children's television series Uncle Jack from 1990-1993 as the notorious villainess, The Vixen. In 1999, Fielding starred in Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson's film Guest House Paradiso. She toured in a production of Lady Windermere's Fan the same year. In 2011, Fielding appeared at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London in an English Chamber Theatre presentation of Jane McCulloch's Dearest Nancy, Darling Evelyn, the dramatised letters of Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh.
From 2012, Fielding performed readings of English translations of Greek classics by David Stuttard. Her partners for this were Simon Russell Beale and later Stephen Greif. Her memoir was published in both audio and book form in 2017 and led to a number of appearances on stage reading extracts from it in places all over the UK.
Fielding was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.
Fielding is the subject of MetaFenella, a 2014 online artwork by artist Martin Firrell.
| Uncredited |
| Voice, Uncredited |
| Uncredited |
| Voice |
| Posthumous release |
| Episode: "The Magnificent Egotist" |
| 3 episodes |
| Episode: "Design for Murder" |
| Episode: "A Spicy Dish" |
| Episode: "The Whitley Case" |
| Episode: "Guardian Angel" |
| Episode: "Treviso Dam" |
| Episode: "Reprise" |
| Voice; Episode: #1.3 |
| Episode: "An Affair of State" |
| All 8 episodes |
| Episode: "Trial and Error" |
| Episode: "Comrades in Arms" |
| Episode: "The Charmers" |
| Episode: "Divorce, Divorce" |
| Episode: "The Ides of March" |
| Episode: "The Importance of Being Earnest" |
| Episode: "Mrs. Quilley's Murder Shoes" |
| All episodes |
| Voice; 7 episodes |
| 4 episodes |
| Episode: "The Autograph" |
| Episode: "A Touch of Violet" |
| Episode: "Vivien's Problem" |
| Episode: "Mad Hatter's Holiday" |
| TV film |
| Episode: #1.4 |
| 18 episodes |
| Voice; Segment: "Carnival of Monsters" |
| Voice; Episode: "Brighton Pavilion" |
| Episode: "Land of the Luvvies" |
| Episode: "Alex" |
| Voice; all 13 episodes |
| Ciro’s Nightclub (cabaret) |
| Washington Hotel (cabaret) |
| Bolton’s Theatre – walk-on role |
| Understudy |
| — |
| Irving Theatre – revue |
| Saville Theatre, West End |
| Apollo Theatre – revue with Kenneth Williams |
| Various productions |
| Various productions |
| Various productions |
| Various productions |
| Various productions |
| Various productions |
| Various productions |
| Off-Broadway |
| London |
| Touring production |
| Revival productions |
| Jermyn Street Theatre |
| Various venues |
| Touring autobiographical show |
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