Patricia Hayes

Who was Patricia Hayes?

Patricia Lawlor Hayes, OBE was an English character actress.

Hayes was born in Streatham, London. As a child Hayes attended the Sacred Heart School in Wandsworth.

She was featured in many radio and television comedy shows between 1940 and 1996, including Hancock's Half Hour, Ray's a Laugh, The Arthur Askey Show, The Benny Hill Show, Bootsie and Snudge and Till Death Us Do Part. She was cast in support roles for films including The Bargee, The NeverEnding Story, A Fish Called Wanda and featured as Fin Raziel in the Ron Howard film Willow. She also played the part of Henry Bones in the BBC Children's Hour radio programme "Norman and Henry Bones - The Boy Detectives" during the late 1940s.

Her most substantial television appearance was in the title role of Edna, the Inebriate Woman for which she won a BAFTA award. She provided the character voice for comedy puppet performances for television and DVDs - e.g. Gran.

She is the mother of British actor Richard O'Callaghan by her marriage to the late Valentine Brook, whom she divorced. She never remarried. She was formerly the head of the Catholic Stage Guild, which her son, Richard, now chairs.