Personal Info
Gretchen Franklin
Acting
Biography
Born in Covent Garden, West London in 1911, Gretchen Franklin was an English actress and dancer whose showbusiness career spanned over 70 years. She was best known for her role as Ethel Skinner in the long-running BBC 1 soap opera EastEnders. She appeared in the very first episode in 1985 and was a regular in the series until 1988. After this she returned to the show intermittently until 2000 when her character was killed off, allowing Franklin to retire from acting at the age of 89. Born into a theatrical family (her father had a song and dance act, her grandfather was a famous music hall ent…
Known For
Filmography
Movies
Return to Waterloo
as Woman on Train
Ragtime
as Elderly Woman
Quincy's Quest
as Witch
The One and Only Phyllis Dixey
as Phyllis's Dresser
The Four Musketeers
as D'Artagnan's Mother (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Three Musketeers
as D’Artagnan’s Mother
Secrets
as Mrs. Pitt
The Night Visitor
as Mrs. Hansen
The Company Man
as Tea Lady
Twisted Nerve
as Clarkie
TV Shows
Keeping Up Appearances
as Daddy's Fiance · 1 ep.
EastEnders
as Ethel Skinner · 570 ep.
Blackadder
as Cordelia · 1 ep.
Dead Ernest
7 ep.
Terry and June
as Cath · 1 ep.
Danger UXB
as Mrs. Flack · 1 ep.
Quatermass
as Edna · 2 ep.
Hazell
as Pearl · 1 ep.
Nicholas Nickleby
as Miss Knag · 1 ep.
George and Mildred
as Mother · 1 ep.