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Joanna Lumley

A comedic powerhouse, Joanna Lumley went from modeling to small roles in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969) and "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" (1973) before recurring on "Coronation Street" (ITV, 1960) and multiple theatrical productions, usually farces or light comedies like "Blithe Spirit" and "Private Lives." She became a cult star when she followed in the high-kicking footsteps of Honor Blackman and Diana Rigg to become the female lead of "The New Avengers" (ITV, 1976-77) as the martial arts and weapons expert Purdey, which helped her land her own sci-fi series, "Sapphire & Steel" (ITV, 1979-1982). After small film roles including "Curse of the Pink Panther" (1983) and "Shirley Valentine" (1989), she became a worldwide star as the hard-living fashion editor Patsy Stone opposite Jennifer Saunders's neurotic Edina Monsoon on "Absolutely Fabulous" (BBC One, 1992-96; 2001-04; 2011-12). A fearlessly grotesque and endlessly hilarious character in Lumley's hands, Patsy became the show's most powerful comic weapon, and "Fabulous" a national smash and global cult classic, earning her a British Comedy Award and two BAFTAs. Her profile raised accordingly, Lumley booked international roles in "James and the Giant Peach" (1996), "The Cat's Meow" (2001), "EuroTrip" (2004), "Ella Enchanted" (2004) and "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013) before returning to her most famous character for "Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie" (2016). Although she was much loved in the U.K. for her lengthy body of work and activist politics, Lumley was best known around the world for her iconic "fabulous" work that kept fans in stitches for years.