Eileen Pollock, star of popular 1980s British television sitcom Bread, died aged 73 over the weekend at her home in London. Reports quoting the late actor's family suggest her death was a peaceful one. Pollock, hailing from North Ireland, was a celebrated artist, best known for playing Lilo Lil in comedy series Bread from 1986-1991. Aside from being a noted theatre personality, she also went on to do several Hollywood films. Her passing is being mourned by friends, who knew her fondly as 'Polly,' with tributes pouring in for the legendary actor.
Announcing her demise, Pollock's agency, ANA Actors, wrote, "Polly was a hugely loved and well known talent of stage and screen both here and in Ireland - working with some of the biggest names in film like Ron Howard and Mike Leigh, but perhaps will most famously be remembered for making us all chuckle as series regular Lilo Lill in Bread."
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Remembering Eileen Pollock
Pollock, who hailed from Belfast, Ireland, received her first big break, through a stage performance in London, courtesy the Bush Theatre. Though noted majorly for her work on television, Pollock's first love was, admittedly, theatre. Despite charting success in her career with Bread, then later in films like Far and Away and Psychosis, Pollock remained a beloved figure in the British theatre scene.
Her most notable stage productions include The Government Inspector, Three Sisters, As Good a Time As Any, and her one-woman show Now I'm Sixty.
Pollock's legacy, however, will be remiss without mention of her critically-acclaimed role as Lilo Lil in the top-rated British comedy Bread, which traced the lives of a working-class family in Liverpool. Her hilarious screen presence, marked by her flaming red hair, was as one of the titular characters Freddie Boswell's mistress. Bread, at the height of its success in 1988, had clocked in on 21 million viewers.
"People will always remember me as Lilo Lil and it's wonderful. I like it when someone says in a supermarket, 'You know who you remind me of, don't take offence, that tart from Bread," she was once quoted saying.
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Tributes Pour In For The Late Actor
Calling Pollock a "powerhouse of an actor, her acting agency mourned her loss, promising to "remember her as our wonderful, witty, brilliant, Belfast girl!"
Dan Gordon, one of Pollock's co-stars, was quoted in Daily Mail, fondly remembering his friend: "She was great fun and the one thing I remember is that I never saw her angry. I never once seen her cross with anyone. She was an extraordinary woman, a beautiful person."
Sharing the news of her demise, Pollock's family said in a statement, "Your beauty, laughter and loving eyes gave joy to all," adding she would be remembered as an "actor, writer and storyteller."
Social media users too are reminiscing Pollock's life and career, looking back at her iconic Bread role. We rounded up some reactions for you:
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