Jean Fennell

Jean Fennell was a British actress and a Sanford Meisner acting teacher, she was born in East London in 1952.

After leaving Drama Centre, London, Fennell made a successful start to her career as a stage actress. She was due to play Angie Watts in EastEnders but in December 1984, with only one short scene recorded and four days before main shooting began, the show's creators, Julia Smith and Tony Holland, declared she did not have sufficient impact to be Angie so Fennell was replaced by Anita Dobson, the actress Julia had originally auditioned for the key part, but who had been unavailable for official casting. Fennell went on to play a role in the 1988 film Further and Particular.

In 1994 the actress discovered the Meisner Acting technique. Her teacher Tom Radcliffe, Meisner's protégé in the UK, asked her to take over his class when he left in 1997.

For the last ten years of her life Fennell battled with chronic pain and finally cancer. She carried on teaching up to a few weeks before her death. Fennell died peacefully at her home, surrounded by her loved ones at the age of 59.

Fennell created a memorable funeral service at St Paul’s (the Actors Church, Covent Garden) where her message “heal thyself- heal the world” was passed on through her favourite songs and tribute for friends.