Caroline Lee-Johnson is a British actress. She is best known for her starring roles in Chef! as Janice Blackstock and The Knock as Diane Ralston. Her work has been primarily in television, but she has also had roles in films, including The Defender. Lee-Johnson trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London.[1]
Career performances
TV programmes
The following are selected television programmes with performances by Caroline Lee-Johnson.[2]
| Year | TV Program | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Campaign | Dee Vincent | Appeared in all 6 episodes. |
| 1993 | Chef! | Janice Blackstock[3] | Lead character. Appeared in series 1–3. |
| 1994 | The Knock | Diane Ralston | Lead character. Appeared in all 37 episodes. |
| 1997 | The Uninvited | Sarah Armstrong | Appeared in three episodes. |
| 2002 | Holby City | Patsy Brassvine | Appeared in nine episodes from 2002-2015. |
| 2003 | Silent Witness | Alice Pettman | Appeared in two episodes. |
| 2004 | Waking the Dead | Assistant Commissioner Dyson | Appeared in two episodes. |
| 2007 | The Whistleblowers | Barbara Waters | Appeared in one episode. |
| 2015 | Humans | Brothel Madam | Appeared in three episodes. |
| 2015 | From Darkness | Superintendent Lola Keir | Appeared in four episodes. |
| 2021 | Vera | Darlene Houghton | Appeared in one episode. |
| 2021 | Midsomer Murders | Jeanie Saint-Stephens | Appeared in one episode. |
| 2022 | Ridley | Gill Moreland | Appeared in one episode (The Peaceful Garden). |
| 2024 | Rebus | Gill Templer | Appeared in six episodes (As Caroline Lee Johnson). |
Films
The following are selected films with performances by Caroline Lee-Johnson.[2]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Monday’s Girls | Lee-Johnson narrates | Educational documentary explores a Nigerian female initiation ceremony from perspective of two young Waikiriki women from the Niger delta. Ngozi Onwurah, director.[4][5] |
| 1991 | Who Needs a Heart | Naomi | Documentary film inspired by the story of 1960s black revolutionary leader Michael X. |
| 1997 | The Saint | Private Hotel Receptionist | |
| 2004 | The Defender | Mrs. Roberta Jones, National Security Agency head | British-German action film |
| 2005 | The Funny Blokes of British Comedy | Appeared as self in this TV documentary film. |
Theatre
Below are selected live performances by Caroline Lee-Johnson.
| Year | Play | Role | Theatre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | Performed at the Haworth Shakespeare Festival, Committed Artists Theatre Company, New York International Festival of the Arts[6] | The play was a modern-day adoption based in South Africa.[7] UK actor Patrick Miller recalled, "Caroline Lee Johnson was stunning as Lady M. She used to get a standing ovation after her first speech."[8][9] |
| 1990 | Joe Turner's Come and Gone | Molly Cunningham | Tricycle Theatre, London | UK premiere[10][11] |
| 1989 | Indigo | Prince's bride-to-be | Almeida Theatre, London | Lee-Johnson performs with Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Dougray Scott and Brian Protheroe. Directed by Keith Boak.[12] |
| 1988 | The Changeling | Joanna's maid | National Theatre London[13] | Art critic Gabriele Annan wrote of the performance, "[t]he sexiest and best-spoken performance comes from Caroline Lee Johnson as Joanna's black maid...".[14] |
| 1986 | Romeo and Juliet | Lady[9] | Royal Shakespeare Company | |
| 1986 | The Winter's Tale | Played Dorcas, Lady[9] | Royal Shakespeare Company |