Born: Penelope Hatfield on April 2, 1940 in Sutton, Surrey. Her parents divorced when she was a child and Keith was her stepfather's last name.

Education: Penelope became interested in acting while taking elocution lessons at the Catholic boarding school she attended as a child. Her interest was also fueled by her mother, who was an aficionado of the theater. Penelope decided to study acting but was rejected by the Central School of Dramatic Arts because at 5'10' she was deemed too tall. She then went to study at The Weber Douglas Academy.

First showbiz experiences: After graduation she began acting in repertory theater, appearing in such plays as The Tunnel of Love, Gigi and Flowering Cherry. Her early television roles include a few appearances on the hit series The Avengers and a small part in the successful BBC miniseries The Pallisers.

However, it was Good Neighbors (known in the UK as The Good Life) that made her a star. Her scene-stealing performance as Margo Leadbetter became one of the highlights of the show and what was supposed to be a minor character turned into one of British comedy's best-loved characters. Her success as Margo then led to her being cast as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To The Manor Born.

Other Career Highlights:

o Starred in the popular 1986 sitcom Executive Stress, playing Caroline (Fielding) Fairchild, a woman who reenters the workforce after raising her children. She ends up having to keep her marriage a secret when she and her husband find themselves working for the same company - a company that has strict rules against fraternizing among employees.
o In 1990 she starred in No Job For a Lady. Her character was Jean Price, a newly elected Member of Parliament.
o In 1995 she played Maggie Prentice in Next of Kin, a comedy about a woman struggling to raise her grandchildren after their parents are killed in a car crash.

Family Life: She married Rodney Timson in 1978 and the couple adopted two brothers in 1988. They live in a 17th century manor house near Milford, Surrey.

Recent Projects:
o Received good reviews for her work in a 2002 West End production of Noel Coward's Star Quality.
o Did a show on BBC Radio 4 devoted to gardening.
o In 2002 was appointed High Sheriff of Surrey. This is mainly a ceremonial position, but she is responsible for signing writs and collecting debts.

In Real Life:

Penelope Keith is probably more like Barbara Good than Margo Leadbetter. She is passionate about gardening and also is a keen conservationist who believes in planting trees and flowers for future generations.

She is also known among her colleagues for her outstanding professionalism and strong work ethic.

She was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1986.

By Michelle Street
Editor, The Insider