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Catriona MacColl

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Catriona MacColl
BERJAYA
MacColl in 2010
Born (1954-10-03) 3 October 1954 (age 71)
London, England
Other nameKatherine MacColl[1]
Alma materRoyal Ballet School
OccupationActress
Years active1978–present
Known forGates of Hell trilogy
Spouse
(m. 1982; div. 1987)

Catriona MacColl (born 3 October 1954), also credited as Katherine MacColl, is an English actress, who has worked extensively in both film and television across Europe.

She is perhaps best known for her work in Italian horror films, as she has appeared in Lucio Fulci's Gates of Hell trilogy; City of the Living Dead (1980), The Beyond (1981) and The House by the Cemetery (1981). She also portrayed the title role in Jacques Demy's Lady Oscar (1979), a live-action adaptation of the manga The Rose of Versailles.

Early life

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MacColl was born in London on 3 October 1954.[2] In her youth, she trained professionally as a ballerina from the age of five, attending the Royal Ballet School.[3] As a young adult, MacColl suffered a foot injury that prevented her from continuing her career path in dancing.[3]

Career

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MacColl began her career in the late 1970s, making her debut in the French romantic drama Le Dernier Amant romantique [fr], directed by Just Jaeckin, in which she received a small role. In 1975, she starred in a touring production of Death of a Salesman in her native Britain.[4] The same year, she was in the company of the Théâtre national de Nice [fr].


In 1979, she received her first leading role in Lady Oscar, a historical drama directed by Jacques Demy based on the Japanese manga The Rose of Versailles by Riyoko Ikeda.[5] According to MacColl, because Lady Oscar was not widely released in Europe, her career stalled:

"I met all kinds of incredible French directors and of course they all knew Jacques. And they would all say: 'Oh, you’re the girl who played the lead in the Demy film that never came out?' So, they all knew who I was, but that really didn’t help me."[6]

Gates of Hell trilogy

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She appeared in the first of director Lucio Fulci's Gates of Hell trilogy, City of the Living Dead.[7] MacColl was hesitant to do City of the Living Dead, because she felt the screenplay was badly written. "It seemed to me like a series of special effects without a story," she said in an interview in 2011. She called her agent to seek his advice. He told her to "take the film, because nobody is going to see it anyway." MacColl says her agent turned out to be wrong about that.[6]

She subsequently starred in the other films of the trilogy, The Beyond[1][8] and The House by the Cemetery (both 1981).[9] She was asked by Fulci to star in his next film The New York Ripper, but she declined.[6]

Subsequent work

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She has also appeared in such films as Hawk the Slayer (1980), Afraid of the Dark (1991), A Good Year (2006), and the 2011 horror anthology film The Theatre Bizarre.[10]

She also starred in the Swiss short comedy film Employé du mois.[11] In 1988, she starred in Pierre Bourgeade's play The Eagle and the Serpent in London.[4]

MacColl has had a successful career in television. In 1978 she made her television debut in the French series Il était un musicien. Her credits include the mystery series Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, the short-lived BBC series Squadron, the mini-series The Last Days of Pompeii, Dempsey and Makepeace, The Hardy Boys, and the French soap opera Plus belle la vie.[citation needed]

Personal life

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MacColl was married to actor Jon Finch from 1982 to 1987[12] and lives in France.

Filmography

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Key
Denotes titles that have not yet been released

Film

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Catriona MacColl film credits
YearTitleRoleNotes
1978 Le Dernier Amant romantique [fr]
1979Lady OscarOscar François de Jarjayes
1980 Le Fils puni [fr] Woman in Photocopier
City of the Living DeadMary WoodhouseCredited as 'Katherine MacColl'
Hawk the SlayerEliane
1981The BeyondLiza Merril Credited as 'Katherine MacColl'
The House by the CemeteryLucy Boyle
1982 Les diplômés du dernier rang [fr] Lucy
1983 Power Game Elizabeth
1988Trois places pour le 26Betty Miller
Mangeuses d'HommesDeborah
1989Jeniec EuropyLady Lowe
1991Afraid of the DarkBlind Woman
1992 Le bal des casse-pieds [fr] Jean-Jean's Mother
1998A Soldier's Daughter Never CriesMrs. Smith
2004Saint AngeFrancard
2006A Good YearEnglish Woman
2011The Theatre BizarreMere AntoinetteSegment: "Mother of Toads"
2013ChimèresMichelle
A Long Way from Home Middle-Aged English Woman
The Love PunchWedding Guest
2014HorseheadCatelyn
2021 Borrowed Time Kate Denard
Borrowed Time II
2022 Borrowed Time III
2023 You and Eye Catherine
Isaac Dr. Abner
TBD Kaia Eleonore Goldstein Post-production

Television

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Catriona MacColl television credits
YearTitleRoleNotes
1980 Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson Helen Grey Episode: "The Case of the Three Uncles"
La Peau de chagrinCountess FoedoraTV miniseries
1982 Les amours des années grises Patricia Episode: "Histoire d'un bonheur"
Squadron Flt. Dr. Susan Young 7 episodes
1984The Last Days of PompeiiJuliaTV miniseries
1985 Dempsey and Makepeace Angie Hughes Episode: "Hors de Combat"
1989 Katts and Dog Lydia Episode: "The Grand Hotel Caper"
The Hitchhiker Catherine Episode: "Garter Belt"
1990 Counterstrike Lorraine Sydberg Episode: "The Lady of the Rhine"
1996 Strangers Eva Episode: "Touch"
2006 Plus belle la vie Ann Boccara Episode: #2.182

References

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  1. 1 2 Erickson, Glenn (2 May 2015). "The Beyond". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015.
  2. "Catriona MacColl". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 MacColl, Catriona (2015). "Beyond and Back: Memories of Lucio Fulci" (Blu-ray). Disc 2. Grindhouse Releasing.
  4. 1 2 "Catriona MacColl | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  5. Deming, Mark (2007). "Lady Oscar". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Catriona MacColl interview". The Flashback Files. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  7. DiVincenzo, Alex (28 August 2023). "'City of the Living Dead' 4K Review – Lucio Fulci's Gore Shines in New Release from Cauldron Films". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  8. Navarro, Meagan (24 February 2018). "Godfather of Gore Lucio Fulci's 'The Beyond'". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  9. Squires, John (5 October 2023). "'The House by the Cemetery' – Watch Trailer for Arrow Video's Gorgeous 4K Restoration of Lucio Fulci Classic". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  10. Anderson, John (24 July 2011). "The Theatre Bizarre". Variety. Accessed March 25, 2015.
  11. Hallam, Scott (27 March 2015). "Check Out Chimeres Creator Olivier Beguin's Short Employee of the Month Right Now!". Dread Central.
  12. "Jon Finch". The Daily Telegraph. London. 14 January 2013.
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