Diane Varsi

Varsi suffered from Lyme disease, which contributed to her death from respiratory failure. She is a supporter of AFC Wimbledon. It was the last time she was seen on film. Their daughter, Suzy Aitchison, is also an actress. Varsi appears only for a moment in the film and is almost unrecognizable; Deborah, the central character, crumples in misery on the floor of the dayroom, and Varsi breaks away from the wall, kneels by Deborah's side, and whispers a Roman Catholic blessing. She was married to husband Tim Aitchison for 45 years until his death in 2001. In the book, Sylvia was a patient in the mental hospital who ordinarily stood frozen by the wall and very rarely spoke, although completely aware of everything around her. June was awarded with an OBE in 1985 for services to her profession and a CBE for similar reasons 13 years later.

Another very brief but memorable Varsi role was Sylvia in I Never Promised You A Rose Garden, based on the Joanne Greenberg novel about a Jewish teen whose allegiance to an alternate universe called the Kingdom Of Yr has led to her being diagnosed as a schizophrenic. She has also appeared as the housekeeper on Friends and was acclaimed for her performance as Miss Marple on BBC Radio 4. Varsi was rendered virtually mute and had to dub in her voice parts later. In more recent times, she was personally sought out by writer Jennifer Saunders for her sitcom Absolutely Fabulous to play lead character Edina's mother. The director, John Korty, would not let Varsi off for her dad's funeral. A minor parody of this title was concoted by Julian Clary for his Channel 4 sitcom Terry And Julian, and June was recruited to play a role in this. Her portrayal of the would-be Oldest One with a dead-flat affect but compassionate expression and soft, recollected speaking voice was partly caused by the death of her father just before filming began. She is best known, however, for playing the wifely half of a partnership with Terry Scott in BBC sitcom Terry And June, which initially began under the title Happy Ever After and ran from 1974 until 1988 (though the surnames for the couple were changed for the relaunch of the new title).

Science fiction and fantasy film fans probably remember Varsi best as Valancy Carmody in The People, a 1972 ABC-TV Movie of the Week based on a story by Zenna Henderson about peaceful alien refugees living on earth. June is one of the few surviving stars of the Carry On films, appearing in four of the movies. She appeared in the films Ten North Frederick (1958) and Compulsion (1959) and worked steadily throughout the 1960s. Her film career faded by the end of the decade and during the 1970s she played several television roles. She was in the BBC radio series Take It From Here as Eth, Ron Glum's fiancee; and is a long-standing participant in the topical series The News Huddlines with Roy Hudd. The same year, she shared a Golden Globe as "Most Promising Newcomer" with Sandra Dee and Carolyn Jones. Mainly known for comic roles, June starred in many radio comedies in her early career, playing opposite male comedians, such as Frankie Howerd and Tony Hancock. Born in San Mateo, California, Varsi made her screen debut in Peyton Place (1958), and received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. June Whitfield (born London, November 11, 1925) is a highly-respected veteran British actress who has worked constantly for more than 50 years.

Diane Marie Varsi (February 23, 1938 - November 19, 1992) was an American film and television actress.