Sandy Ratcliff
Born on October 2, 1950 in London, England, Sandy Ratcliff originally worked as a model and was touted by photographer Lord Snowden as 'The Face of the 70s' before she turned her attention to acting. She took the lead role in Ken Loach's 1971 film Family Life, and later appeared in the 1979 film Radio On, but she was best known for being one of the original cast members in the BBC soap EastEnders. As Sue Osman, Ratcliff appeared in the very first episode in 1985 and played the part of the cafe owner until 1989 when she was sacked due to her addiction to heroin. Ill health and personal problems dogged Ratcliff ever since she left the soap, including battling cancer and hitting the headlines for providing a false alibi for her boyfriend Michael Shorey, who was subsequently sentenced to two life sentences for the murder of two women. At some stage, Ratcliff retrained as a counsellor but had retired by 2010. In her final years she lived in sheltered accommodation and it was here that her body was found on the morning of 7th April, 2019. She was 70 years old.
Known For
Credits
- 1994 · Men of the Month as Meg
- 1990 · A Box of Swan as Patricia
- 1985 · EastEnders as Sue Osman
- 1983 · Doll’s Eye as Maggie
- 1982 · The Workshop as Mimi
- 1980 · Hussy as Olympia
- 1979 · Story Without a Hero as Muriel
- 1979 · Radio On as Kathy
- 1979 · Minder as Barbara
- 1979 · Yesterday's Hero as Rita
- 1979 · Danger UXB as Rosalyn
- 1978 · The After Dinner Joke as Mum
- 1977 · Cork and Bottle as Lana Cork
- 1976 · Play Things as Alice
- 1975 · The Sweeney as Liz Jenner
- 1973 · The Cornet Lesson as Girl
- 1973 · The Final Programme as Jenny
- 1971 · Family Life as Janice Baildon