Joanna Lumley is a bit of a miracle. Seriously. Most actors are lucky to get one "role of a lifetime," but she’s managed to reinvent herself every decade like some sort of posh, velvet-voiced chameleon. Whether you know her as the champagne-swilling Patsy Stone or the high-kicking Purdey, Joanna Lumley movies and TV shows have basically become the backbone of British telly for over fifty years.
It’s actually wild when you look at the range. She started as a model in the "Swinging Sixties," failed her RADA audition (can you imagine?), and then somehow ended up in a Bond movie. Now she’s a Dame. Not bad for someone who says she’s her own worst critic.
The Roles That Defined Her (Before the Bollinger)
People always forget she was a "Bond Girl" first. Well, technically one of the "Angels of Death" in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). She only had two lines. But it was a start.
Then came the hair. The "Purdey Cut." In 1976, The New Avengers made her a household name. She played Purdey, an ex-ballerina turned secret agent who could kick a villain in the face without messing up her bob. Fun fact: Joanna actually came up with that haircut herself because she thought her natural hair looked "soppy." She went to Leonard’s salon and got a junior stylist to chop it off—that stylist was a young John Frieda.
From Sci-Fi to the Cobbles
Before she was an icon, she was everywhere:
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- Coronation Street (1973): She played Elaine Perkins, a love interest for Ken Barlow. She turned down his marriage proposal. Smart move, Elaine.
- Sapphire & Steel (1979–1982): This show was weird. Like, properly eerie. She played an interdimensional agent alongside David McCallum. It’s cult classic territory now.
- Are You Being Served?: She popped up as a German lady. The range is real.
The Patsy Stone Era: Absolutely Fabulous
Honestly, if we’re talking about Joanna Lumley movies and TV shows, everything changed in 1992. Jennifer Saunders created Absolutely Fabulous, and Joanna became Patsy Stone.
Patsy was a disaster. She was a chain-smoking, Bollinger-gulping fashion editor who hadn't eaten since 1973. Joanna once said she based Patsy’s voice on Mick Jagger after a heavy night. It was a total departure from her "posh girl" image, and it won her two BAFTAs. It also gave us the 2016 film Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, where they accidentally (maybe?) kill Kate Moss. It’s chaotic. It’s loud. It’s perfect.
Hollywood and the Big Screen
She doesn't just do sitcoms. Joanna has a knack for showing up in massive Hollywood blockbusters and stealing the scene from people like Leonardo DiCaprio.
In The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), she played Aunt Emma. Seeing her flirt with DiCaprio on a park bench in London was something nobody had on their 2013 bingo card, but it worked. Martin Scorsese reportedly loved her.
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Then there’s the voice work. You’ve probably heard her even if you didn't see her face. She was the terrifying Aunt Spiker in James and the Giant Peach (1996) and the haughty Maudeline Everglot in Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005). More recently, she joined the cast of Wednesday as Grandmama for the second season. She just fits that gothic, eccentric vibe so well.
A Few Surprising Credits
- Paddington 2 (2017): She plays Felicity Fanshaw. It’s a tiny role, but being in the best movie ever made is a flex.
- Ella Enchanted (2004): She played the wicked stepmother, Dame Olga.
- Fool Me Once (2024): This Netflix thriller was a massive hit. She played Judith Burkett, a cold, calculating matriarch. It proved she can do "deadly serious" just as well as "drunk and falling over."
The Travel Documentary Queen
Lately, Joanna has become the face of high-end travel. She’s not just a presenter; she’s like your incredibly enthusiastic aunt who finds everything "absolutely ravishing."
Her travelogues are different because she has a genuine connection to the places. She was born in Srinagar, British India, in 1946. When she went back for Joanna Lumley's India (2017), it wasn't just a TV gig—it was personal.
"I've been to very poor countries and I'm convinced that happiness is not connected with wealth," she once noted.
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She’s tracked the Northern Lights, traveled the Silk Road, and explored the Nile. In 2025, she took us down the Danube. People love these shows because she’s kind to everyone she meets, from sake brewers in Japan to spice traders in Indonesia. Even when the Guardian critics get a bit prickly about the colonial undertones of shows like Spice Trail Adventure, audiences still tune in for her sheer charisma.
What to Watch Next
If you’re looking to dive into the best of Joanna Lumley movies and TV shows, don't just stick to the hits.
For the laughs: Watch the original Absolutely Fabulous (Series 1-3 are peak comedy).
For the chills: Find Sapphire & Steel on a streaming service like BritBox. It’s slow-burn 70s sci-fi at its best.
For the comfort: Any of her travel series. Joanna Lumley’s Japan is particularly beautiful.
For the drama: Check out Finding Alice (2021) or Fool Me Once.
Joanna Lumley is currently 79 and showing zero signs of slowing down. She’s filming, she’s campaigning for Gurkha rights, and she’s narrating nature docs. She once said you have to "present a moving target" to stay relevant in this industry. It looks like she’s still moving faster than anyone else.
Practical Tip: To see the full scope of her career, start with her 2017 BAFTA Fellowship acceptance speech. It’s a masterclass in grace and shows exactly why she’s considered a national treasure. After that, go back and watch her 1973 episodes of Coronation Street to see just how far she's come.