Alexandra Bastedo

Alexandra Bastedo (born 9 March 1946, Hove, East Sussex, England) is a British actress, best-known for her role as secret agent Sharron Macready in the 1968 British espionage/science fiction adventure series The Champions.

Life

According to her official website, her mother is of French, German, and Italian descent. Her Canadian-born father is of Spanish, Dutch, Scottish and native Indian extraction. She attended Brighton and Hove High School and Worthing School of Drama. Her husband is the director Patrick Garland, noted for his direction of the Chichester festival.

Bastedo gained fame in the continent earning her the nickname, "La Bastedo". Although most familiar to viewers of 1960s TV, she was also famed for her multilingual skills, speaking Italian, Spanish, French and German. This skill brought her to the door of 10 Downing Street to assist with translations and landed her the role of co-presenter of Miss World competitions with Peter Marshall in the 1980s. In the early 1990s she appeared in an episode of Absolutely Fabulous playing a 1960s model associate of Edina and Patsy. In 1991 she appeared in a notable production of the psychological thriller Dangerous Obsession by N.J. Crisp, opposite Marc Sinden and John Challis, at The Mill at Sonning.

In an interview on the BBC television series Where Are They Now? Bastedo provided a glimpse into her private life. She used to be the president of her local RSPCA branch, but gave up her position^[1] in 2008 so she could dedicate more time to her own fast growing animal sanctuary at her home in West Chiltington, West Sussex^[2]. Bastedo wrote a memoir, Beware Dobermanns, Donkeys and Ducks, as well as several books on caring for cats & dogs.

In 2006 Bastedo was reunited for the first time with her co-stars from The Champions to provide commentaries and an interview for a DVD release of the show. Still an active actress, she appeared in Batman Begins, and touring theatres in 2006 with a production of Beyond Reasonable Doubt alongside Leslie Grantham and Simon Ward. In 2008 she joined the cast of EastEnders playing "Cynthia".^[3][4] In January 2008 she appeared as co-presenter (with Ed Stewart) of 'The Magic of Mantovani' at Lighthouse, Poole. The success of this concert led, the following year, to a second concert at Lighthouse in Poole, with the Mantovani Orchestra, which she again co-presented.

Cancer

Bastedo is a breast cancer survivor. Her younger brother, Lindsay, died following a long battle with cancer.

Bibliography

• Alexandra Bastedo, Beware dobermanns, donkeys and ducks (Parkwest: Robson Books, 1998).
• Alexandra Bastedo and Jeannie Kemnitzer, Canine Care and Cuisine: The Healthy Dog Book (Parkwest: Robson Books, 2000).
• Alexandra Bastedo and Jeannie Kemnitzer, The Healthy Cat Book: Feline Care and Cuisine (Parkwest: Robson Books, 2000).
• Alexandra Bastedo and Jeannie Kemnitzer, The Healthy Dog Book (Parkwest: Robson, 2002).

Filmography

• 13 Frightened Girls (aka The Candy Web) (1963)
• The Liquidator (1966)
• That Riviera Touch (1966)
• The Haunted Man (1966)
• The Head Waiter (1966) (TV)
• Casino Royale (1967)
• The Champions (1968-69) (TV series)
• A Promise of Bed (1969)
• I Can't... I Can't (1969)
• Tibetana (1970)
• Codename (1970) (TV series)
• My Lover My Son (1970)
• La Novia Ensangrentada (1972)
• Odio mi cuerpo (1974)
• Tu dios y mi infierno (1975)
• The Ghoul (1975)
• El Clan de los Nazarenos (1975)
• The Man Inside (1976)
• Find the Lady (1976)
• El Mirón (1977)
• Cabo de vara (1978)
• The Aphrodite Inheritance (1979) (mini series)
• A Choice of Two (1981)
• Estigma (1982)
• Legend of the Champions (1983) (TV)
• Draw! (1984) (TV)
• La Veritat oculta (1987)
• Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Not! (1998)
• Batman Begins (2005)
• EastEnders (2008–2009)

References

External links

• Official Alexandra Bastedo Champions Animal Sanctuary site
• The Official Alexandra Bastedo Website
• Biography at TV.com
• IMDB Entry
• Champions Fan website