Susan Tully

2025-10-17T20:42:18Z

2A00:23C6:1752:9801:8C59:4394:7980:5267:

{{short description|English television actress, producer and director}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| name = Susan Tully
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|10|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]
| occupation = Actress, television producer, television director
| height =
| years active = 1981–present
| death_date =
| death_place =
| birth_name = Susan Lorna Tully
| othername =
| website =
}}

'''Susan Lorna Tully''' (born 20 October 1967) is a British actress, television producer and television director from [[London]].<ref>{{Cite web | title=FreeBMD Entry Info | url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?scan=1&r=238020070:2295&d=bmd_1750653180 | access-date=2025-08-18 | website=www.freebmd.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Susan Tully - Biography | website=[[IMDb]] | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0876448/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_ql_1 }}</ref>

Tully's most prominent television acting roles have been those of rebellious teenager Suzanne Ross in ''[[Grange Hill]]'' and single mother [[Michelle Fowler]] in the [[BBC]] [[soap opera]] ''[[EastEnders]]''. Tully played one of the original ''EastEnders'' characters, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985 and remaining central to the series until 26 October 1995.

Tully later gave up acting in favour of working behind the camera and since then has directed and produced British television programmes.

==Early life==
Tully's father was a watch-case maker and her mother a housewife. Tully was brought up on a London council estate.<ref name="Tully">"[https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/after-10-years-as-tvs-most-famous-single-mother-susan-tully-now-craves-an-escape-from-soap-megastardom--and-a-bit-of-adventure-1579933.html After 10 years as TV's most famous single mother, Susan Tully now craves an escape from soap megastardom – and a bit of adventure]", ''The Independent''. 29 October 1995. Accessed 14 March 2007.</ref>

While at school in [[Barnsbury]], [[Islington]], Tully took up acting as a hobby and attended the [[Anna Scher Theatre|Anna Scher children's theatre]], which began a fast track into television work.<ref name="Tully"/>

==Career==
===Acting===
Aged nine, Tully hosted the television children's programme ''Our Show'' and later worked on ''[[The Saturday Banana]]'' with [[Bill Oddie]].<ref name="EEHandbook">{{cite book |last=Kingsley |first=Hilary |title=The EastEnders Handbook |title-link=EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books |publisher=BBC Books |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-685-52957-7}}</ref>

Tully was cast in the [[BBC]] children's television serial ''[[Grange Hill]]''. She played schoolgirl Suzanne Ross for three years (1981–1984).<ref name="Grange Hill">{{cite news |last=Koncienzcy |first=Rebecca |date=17 August 2019 |title=BBC EastEnders actress Susan Tully now works as a director for Sky |work=[[Liverpool Echo]] |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/tv/bbc-eastenders-actress-susan-tully-16761966 |access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref> At the age of 17, Tully secured a major role in the [[BBC]]'s new soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]''. She played [[Michelle Fowler]] from the show's inception in 1985 until 1995. During her time on the show, her character became pregnant aged 16 after having an affair with the 39-year-old adulterer [[Den Watts]]. In December 2016, ''EastEnders'' recast the role of Michelle Fowler to actress [[Jenna Russell]] after Tully repeatedly turned down offers to return. The show's executive producer at the time, [[Sean O'Connor (producer)|Sean O'Connor]], has said that Tully gave her blessing for the recast to take place.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Jenna Russell reveals she was 'very scared' at taking Michelle Fowler role in EastEnders |url=http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/eastenders/eastenders-news/jenna-russell-scared-michelle-fowler-442018/ |magazine=What's on TV |date=26 December 2016 |access-date=26 December 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Directing and producing===
In the late 1990s, Tully began concentrating on [[Television director|directing for television]] (credited as '''Sue Tully''').
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Notes
|-
|1998–1999
|''[[EastEnders]]''
|15 episodes
|-
|1999–2004
|''[[The Bill]]''
|14 episodes. Also credited as producer on episodes 93, 94, 99, 100, 106, 107
|-
|2000
|''Black Cab''
|5 episodes
|-
|2000–2001
|''[[London's Burning (TV series)|London's Burning]]''
|4 episodes
|-
|2002
|''[[The Story of Tracy Beaker (TV series)|The Story of Tracy Beaker]]''
|13 episodes
|-
|2003
|''[[Murder Investigation Team (TV series)|M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team]]''
|1 episode: Lambs to the Slaughter
|-
|2004
|''[[55 Degrees North]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2005
|''[[Twisted Tales (British TV series)|Twisted Tales]]''
|3 episodes
|-
|2005
|''[[Funland (TV series)|Funland]]''
|4 episodes
|-
|2006
|[[Drop Dead Gorgeous (TV series)|''Drop Dead Gorgeous'']]
|3 episodes
|-
|2006
|''[[Goldplated]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2006–2007
|''[[The Chase (2006 TV series)|The Chase]]''
|5 episodes
|-
|2007
|''[[Secret Diary of a Call Girl]]''
|4 episodes
|-
|2008–2011
|''[[Silent Witness]]''
|6 episodes
|-
|2009
|''Theatre Live!''
|1 episode: Too Many Cooks
|-
|2009
|''[[Blue Murder (British TV series)|Blue Murder]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2009–2011
|''[[Lark Rise to Candleford (TV series)|Lark Rise to Candleford]]''
|9 episodes
|-
|2012
|''[[Stella (British TV series)|Stella]]''
|4 episodes
|-
|2012
|''[[Good Cop]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2012
|''[[The Paradise (TV series)|The Paradise]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2012
|''[[Getting On (British TV series)|Getting On]]''
|6 episodes
|-
|2013
|''[[Truckers (2013 TV series)|Truckers]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2014
|''[[The Mill (TV series)|The Mill]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2014
|''[[Puppy Love (TV series)|Puppy Love]]''
|6 episodes
|-
|2015
|''[[Crossing Lines]]''
|4 episodes
|-
|2016
|''[[The Musketeers]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2016–2017
|''[[The A Word]]''
|4 episodes
|-
|2018
|''[[Britannia (TV series)|Britannia]]''
|1 episode: Honor and Betrayals
|-
|2019
|''[[Tin Star (TV series)|Tin Star]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2019
|''[[Line of Duty]]''
|2 episodes
|-
|2020
|''[[Strike (TV series)|Strike: Lethal White]]''
|4 episodes
|-
|2021
|''[[Too Close (TV series)|Too Close]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Palmer|first=Katie|date=2021-04-14|title=Who is Too Close director Sue Tully? Meet the Line of Duty and EastEnders star|url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1422349/who-is-sue-tully-too-close-director-line-of-duty-eastenders|access-date=2021-04-14|website=Express.co.uk}}</ref>''
|3 episodes
|-
|2022
|''[[Strike (TV series)|Strike: Troubled Blood]]''
|4 episodes
|-
|2023
|[[Maryland (TV series)|''Maryland'']]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mangan |first=Lucy |date=2023-05-22 |title=Maryland review – no one is more moving than Suranne Jones |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/22/maryland-review-no-one-is-more-moving-than-suranne-jones |access-date=2023-07-29 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
|-
|2024
|''[[Strike (TV series)|Strike: The Ink Black Heart]]''
|4 episodes
|}

==Personal life==
Tully is a supporter of the [[Meningitis Trust]] and she has also been involved in the [[Comic Relief (charity)|Comic Relief]] fundraising event.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/comic_relief/episodes/1/6/|title=The Comedy Guide:Comic Relief 1997|website=[[British Comedy Guide]] }}</ref> She is a close friend of [[Letitia Dean]], who played her best friend [[Sharon Watts]] in ''EastEnders''.<ref>"[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_19980607/ai_n14475621 LIFE AFTER SHARON]", ''Sunday Mirror''. URL last accessed on 18 September 2006.</ref> Tully was a bridesmaid at Dean's wedding to Jason Pethers in 2002.<ref>"[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20011014/ai_n14540465 EastEnd Letitia's diamond geezer]", ''Sunday Mirror''. URL last accessed on 18 September 2006.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0876448}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tully, Susan}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century English actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from London]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Anna Scher Theatre School]]
[[Category:British television actresses]]
[[Category:British soap opera actresses]]
[[Category:British television directors]]
[[Category:English television directors]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Camden]]
[[Category:English child actresses]]
[[Category:People from Highgate]]

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Susan Tully