Victoria Wood
Biography
Victoria Wood CBE was an English comedian, actress, singer, songwriter, screenwriter, and director. Born on May 19, 1953, in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, her career began in 1974 by winning the ATV talent show New Faces. She passed away on April 20, 2016, at the age of 62. Over her career, she accumulated 90 known acting credits. Wood wrote and starred in sketches, plays, musicals, films, and sitcoms, including the BBC sitcom Dinnerladies. Her live comedy acts featured her own piano compositions. Her humour focused on everyday life, British media references, brand names of British products, cultural observation, and social class satire.
Career overview
Victoria Wood was an English comedian, actress, singer, songwriter, screenwriter, and director. Born on May 19, 1953, in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, England, UK, her career in entertainment began in 1974 when she won the ATV talent show New Faces. Over several decades, she wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films, and sitcoms. Her live comedy act was regularly interspersed with her own musical compositions, which she performed and accompanied herself on the piano.
Wood's creative work extended to composing and performing the theme music for the BBC sitcom Dinnerladies. Her comedic style was largely grounded in everyday life, featuring references to popular British media and quintessentially British brand names. She earned notable recognition for her keen skills in observing culture and satirising various social classes.
Throughout her extensive career, she accumulated numerous known credits in the acting field. Her life and career spanned until her death on April 20, 2016, at the age of sixty-two.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
139 titles- Rik Mayall's Sketches: Rare And Unseen (2026) as Self (archive footage)
- Becoming Victoria Wood (2026) as (Archive footage)
- Parkinson at 50 (2021) as Self (archive footage)
- Victoria Wood In Her Own Words (2020) as Self
- Dinnerladies Diaries (2018) as Self (Archived Footage)
- Dying Laughing (2017) as Self
- Our Friend Victoria (2017) as Herself - Archive
- Let's Do It: A Tribute to Victoria Wood (2016) as Self (archive material)
- Fungus the Bogeyman (2015) as Eve
- Fungus The Bogeyman (2015)
- 20 Moments That Rocked Talent Shows (2015) as Self
- A Life on Screen (2014) as Self
- Victoria Wood - That Musical We Made (2014) as Self
- Victoria Wood - That Musical We Made (2014) Writer
- That Day We Sang (2014) Director
- That Day We Sang (2014) Writer
- That Day We Sang (2014) Original Music Composer
- The Great Comic Relief Bake Off (2013) as Self - Contestant
- Victoria Wood's Nice Cup of Tea (2013) as Self - Presenter
- Victoria Wood's Nice Cup of Tea (2013) Writer
- Victoria Wood's Nice Cup of Tea (2013) as Self
- Victoria Wood's Nice Cup of Tea (2013) Writer
- Loving Miss Hatto (2012) Writer
- Loving Miss Hatto (2012) Executive Producer
- Victoria Wood's Short Term Memories (2012)
- Victoria Wood's Short Term Memories (2012) Writer
- Victoria Wood's Short Term Memories (2012) Creator
- Case Histories (2011) as Tracy
- The Borrowers (2011) as Granny Driver
- Eric & Ernie: Behind the Scenes (2011) as Self - Presenter / Narrator
- Eric & Ernie (2011) as Sadie Bartholomew
- Eric & Ernie (2011) Conceptual Design
- Eric & Ernie (2011) Writer
- Eric & Ernie (2011) Executive Producer
- Little Crackers (2010) Director
- Little Crackers (2010) Writer
- The Angina Monologues (2010) as Herself/Jean's Friend
- The Angina Monologues (2010) Producer
- Victoria Wood's Midlife Christmas (2009)
- Victoria Wood: What Larks! Or... What I Did on My Holidays (2009) as Self
- Victoria Wood: What Larks! Or... What I Did on My Holidays (2009) Producer
- Victoria Wood: What Larks! Or... What I Did on My Holidays (2009) Writer
- Ballet Shoes (2008) as Nana
- Stanley Baxter: Now and Then (2008) as Self
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
- Victoria's Empire (2007)
- The One Show (2006) as Self
- Housewife, 49 (2006) as Nella Last
- Housewife, 49 (2006) Writer
- More Dawn French's Girls Who Do: Comedy (2006) as Self
- The Story of Light Entertainment (2006) as Self
- Acorn Antiques: The Musical (2006) as Bo Beaumont / Mrs Overall (On Bingo Nights)
- Acorn Antiques: The Musical (2006) Writer
- Acorn Antiques: The Musical (2006) Original Music Composer
- Harry & Paul (2005)
- The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005) as Queen Mary II
- QI (2003) as Self
- Thora Hird Tribute (2003) as Self, Margaret
- Victoria at the Albert - Live (2002) as Herself/Various
- Victoria at the Albert - Live (2002) Writer
- Victoria at the Albert - Live (2002) Executive Producer
- Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy (2002)
- Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings (2000) as Self/Various Characters
- Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings (2000) Writer
- Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings (2000) Original Music Composer
- Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings (2000) Producer
- Don't Panic: The Dad's Army Story (2000) as Host
- Don't Panic: The Dad's Army Story (2000) Writer
- Parkinson (1998) as Self
- dinnerladies (1998) as Brenda
- dinnerladies (1998) Writer
- dinnerladies (1998) Producer
- dinnerladies (1998) Music
- dinnerladies (1998) Creator
- Victoria Wood: Live (1997) as Herself
- Victoria Wood: Live (1997) Executive Producer
- The Wind in the Willows (1996) as The Tea Lady
- Pat and Margaret (1994) as Margaret
- Pat and Margaret (1994) Screenplay
- Pat and Margaret (1994) Writer
- Victoria Wood Live In Your Own Home (1994) as Herself
- Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast (1992)
- Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast (1992) Writer
- Pebble Mill (1991) as Self
- Not Now Bernard (1991)
- Victoria Wood: Sold Out (1991)
- Victoria Wood: Sold Out (1991) Writer
- Julie Walters and Friends (1991)
- Julie Walters and Friends (1991) Writer
- Julie Walters and Friends (1991)
- Julie Walters and Friends (1991) Creator
- Screen One (1989) as Margaret
- Screen One (1989) Writer
- Victoria Wood (1989) as Victoria
- Victoria Wood (1989) Writer
- Victoria Wood (1989) Creator
- Clive James' Postcard from (1989) as Self
- An Audience With Victoria Wood (1988) as Self
- An Audience With Victoria Wood (1988) Writer
- Going Live! (1987) as Self
- Acorn Antiques (1987) as Berta
- Comedians Do It On Stage (1986) as self
- Acorn Antiques (1985) as Miss Berta
- Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1985)
- Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1985) Writer
- Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1985) Creator
- The Glass Box (1985) as Herself
- Personal View: Victoria Wood (1985) as Herself
- Aspel & Company (1984)
- Open Space (1983)
- Wogan (1982) as Self
- The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1982) as Self
- Wood and Walters (1982)
- Wood and Walters (1982) Creator
- Happy Since I Met You (1981) as Voice Only (uncredited)
- Happy Since I Met You (1981) Writer
- Happy Since I Met You (1981) Music
- Great Railway Journeys (1980) as Self - Presenter
- Nearly a Happy Ending (1980) as Maureen
- Nearly a Happy Ending (1980) Writer
- Nearly a Happy Ending (1980) Music
- Profiles of Andrea Dunbar and Victoria Wood (1980) as Self (Good Fun Playwright)
- Screenplay (1979) as Maureen
- Screenplay (1979) Writer
- Victoria Wood Screenplays (1979)
- Talent (1979) as Maureen
- Talent (1979) Original Music Composer
- Talent (1979) Writer
- An Audience with... (1978) as Self
- The Secret Policeman's Ball (1976) as Self
- The Summer Show (1975)
- That's Life! (1973)
- Omnibus (1967)
- Jackanory (1965) as Storyteller
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Cavendish
- Victoria Wood with All The Trimmings Creator
- Happy Since I Met You Creator
- The Talent Show Story as Herself
- Victoria Wood's Mid-Life Christmas Creator
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Victoria Wood best known for?
Victoria Wood is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Lancelot of the Lake (1974), Lancelot of the Lake (1974), An American Girl: Saige Paints the Sky (2013), An American Girl: Saige Paints the Sky (2013).
When and where was Victoria Wood born?
Victoria Wood was born on May 19, 1953 in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, England, UK. They passed away on April 20, 2016.
How many credits does Victoria Wood have?
Victoria Wood has accumulated over 139 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1950 to 2026.
What is Victoria Wood's background in cinema and television?
Victoria Wood CBE was an English comedian, actress, singer, songwriter, screenwriter, and director. Born on May 19, 1953, in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, her career began in 1974 by winning the ATV talent show New Faces. She passed away on April 20, 2016, at the age of 62. Over he...
Victoria Wood by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Victoria Wood (1989) as Victoria — aged about 36
- QI (2003) as Self — aged about 50
- Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1985) — aged about 32
- Wood and Walters (1982) — aged about 29
- That's Life! (1973) — aged about 20
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self — aged about 54
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