Sandy Ratcliff
Born: 1948-10-02 in London, England, UK
Died: 2019-04-07
Known For: Acting
Biography
Born on October 2, 1950 in London, England, Sandy Ratcliff originally worked as a model and was touted by photographer Lord Snowden as 'The Face of the 70s' before she turned her attention to acting. She took the lead role in Ken Loach's 1971 film Family Life, and later appeared in the 1979 film Radio On, but she was best known for being one of the original cast members in the BBC soap EastEnders. As Sue Osman, Ratcliff appeared in the very first episode in 1985 and played the part of the cafe owner until 1989 when she was sacked due to her addiction to heroin. Ill health and personal problems dogged Ratcliff ever since she left the soap, including battling cancer and hitting the headlines for providing a false alibi for her boyfriend Michael Shorey, who was subsequently sentenced to two life sentences for the murder of two women. At some stage, Ratcliff retrained as a counsellor but had retired by 2010. In her final years she lived in sheltered accommodation and it was here that her body was found on the morning of 7th April, 2019. She was 70 years old.
Filmography
1994
- Men of the Month as Meg
1990
- A Box of Swan as Patricia
1985
- EastEnders as Sue Osman
1983
- Doll’s Eye as Maggie
1982
- The Workshop as Mimi
1980
- Hussy as Olympia
1979
- Minder as Barbara
- Radio On as Kathy
- Story Without a Hero as Muriel
- Danger UXB as Rosalyn
- Yesterday's Hero as Rita
1978
- Hazell as Mrs O'Rourke
- The After Dinner Joke as Mum
1977
- Target as Angie Dawson
- Cork and Bottle as Lana Cork
1976
- Play Things as Alice
1975
- The Sweeney as Liz Jenner
1974
- Playhouse as Alice
1973
- The Final Programme as Jenny
- The Cornet Lesson as Girl
1971
- Family Life as Janice Baildon