Clare Frances Elizabeth Higgins (born 10 November 1955) is an English actress, who appeared in three episodes of the ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders. Her film appearances include Hellraiser (1987), Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), Small Faces (1996) and The Golden Compass (2007).
A six-time Olivier Award nominee for her work in the theatre, Higgins received her first nomination in 1984 for her role as Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. She has since won the Olivier Award for Best Actress three times; for Sweet Bird of Youth in 1995, Vincent in Brixton in 2003 and Hecuba in 2005. She made her Broadway debut in 2003 in Vincent in Brixton, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play. She returned to Broadway in the 2014 revival of A Delicate Balance. From mid-May to September 2009, she appeared as the Countess Rossillion in All's Well That Ends Well at the National Theatre (Olivier stage).
On 30 September 2012, Higgins appeared in Season 3, episode 3 of Downton Abbey as Mrs Bartlett, a friend of Mrs Bates who eventually helps in the release of Mr Bates from prison.
On 14 November 2013, she appeared in the Doctor Who mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor", which starred Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. Higgins played Ohila, the leader of the Sisterhood of Karn. Higgins returned to the role in 2015 in "The Magician's Apprentice", which originally aired on 19 September 2015, and in the series finale "Hell Bent" on 5 December 2015. The same year she appeared in EastEnders, as prosecuting lawyer Hazel Warren. Currently, she played the roles of Miss Cackle and her twin sister Agatha Cackle in four series of the 2017 television revival of The Worst Witch, along with co-star Raquel Cassidy, who plays Miss Hardbroom.
Appearances[]
- Midsomer Rhapsody (2005) as Laura Crawford
- Death in a Chocolate Box (2007) as Gina Colby
- Talking to the Dead (2008) as 'Medea' read by (voice)
External Links[]
- Clare Higgins at Wikipedia
- Clare Higgins at IMDB