Matilda Ziegler is an English actress, known for her roles as Pearl Pratt in Lark Rise to Candleford, and Donna Ludlow in the BBCsoap operaEastEnders.
Television and film career
Ziegler's first screen role was in her early twenties, during 1987–89, she appeared on EastEnders, playing Donna Ludlow, the illegitimate daughter of series regular Kathy Beale. Donna contended with prostitution, an attempted gang rape, heroin addiction and finally suicide. The final death scenes of Ziegler's character, who had choked to death on her own vomit, have been hailed as one of the most powerful anti drug images ever screened on the programme. After leaving EastEnders in April 1989, Ziegler went on to star in the sitcom by ITV, Mr. Bean, where she played multiple characters, especially a four episode stint as Irma Gobb, the title character's long suffering girlfriend. Other television credits include Lark Rise to Candleford in which she played the part of Pearl Pratt, in the BBC adaptation of Flora Thompson's novel. Harbour Lights ; Where the Heart Is ; Holby City ; An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, and the police drama by ITV, The Bill, and Home, alongside Anthony Sher in an adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel. Ziegler played Ruth, wife of car salesman Toni, in the BBC sitcom Swiss Toni. She also appeared in the BAFTA Television Award winning drama, Sex Traffic. In 2005, she played Christine Miller in the fourth series of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and in 2007, she guest starred in the BBC Birmingham/BBC One medical drama Doctors. She appeared in Outnumbered, and Death in Paradise. In 2015, she appeared in an episode of Foyle's War, Series 4 of Call the Midwife. She reprises her role as Irma Gobb voicing her in Mr. Bean: The Animated Series, starting in 2002 to 2004, and in the revived series since 2015 to date. Film roles include Decadence, Jilting Joe and City Slacker. The Rhythm Section playing Blake Lively's mother.
Stage and radio career
Ziegler has appeared in many stage productions, including Twelfth Night for the Royal Shakespeare Company ; the theatrical version of Mr. Bean; Women Laughing at the Royal Court Theatre; Volpone, Inadmissible Evidence and Machinal, all at the National Theatre; Featuring Loretta and The Memory Of Water — both at the Hampstead Theatre; The Lady from the Sea, Lyric Hammersmith/West Yorkshire Playhouse and also starred as Sheila Birling in Stephen Daldry's award winning production of An Inspector Calls at the Aldwych Theatre and for the production's Australian tour, along with Lady Sneerwell in Deborah Warner's 2011 production of The School for Scandal at the Barbican Centre. She most recently appeared in Downstate in Chicago and at the National Theatre, a co production with Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Her radio work has included playing Dr Ruth Anderson in BBC Radio 4, Rigor Mortis . She also featured in Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off in 2010, and as Princess Theresa of Liechtenstein in the fourth series of Cabin Pressure in 2013, a role she reprised for the show's final episode in 2014. She had previously played an air traffic controller and a paramedic in the second episode of the first series. She also performed in an BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of P. G. Wodehouse's Meet Mr Mulliner in 2002. In 2015, Ziegler directed Norwich School's production of "The Cherry Orchard". In 2017, she appeared as The Doctor, The Therapist and Mum in Duncan McMillan's People Places And Things, directed by Jeremy Herrin.
Personal life
In July 2004, Ziegler married actor Louis Hilyer; the couple have three children.
