“Absolutely Fabulous” Actress, June Whitfield, Dies at 93

Dame June Whitfield. Photo by REX/Shutterstock (9225648d)

British actress June Whitfield and star of Absolutely Fabulous passed away at the age of 93. 

According to multiple reports, Whitfield died peacefully at her London hone on Friday night. According to the BBC, the news were later confirmed by her agent.

Whitfield was best known for her role as Mother, in the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, which ran from 1992 to 1996. The series made its US premiere in 1994. Her other credits include roles on EastEnders, Take It From Here, Terry and June, and Doctor Who. You might also remember her as the Waltham’s housekeeper on Friends. While Whitfield was only in the show a matter of seconds, who can forget her conversation with Phoebe who desperately tried to talk to anyone who would stop Rachel from trying to stop Ross and Emily’s wedding. 

“I’ve always said one of the reasons I’ve worked for so long is that I’m no trouble,” she told The Guardian in 2011 and added that comedy was her choice from the very beginning. 

“It was entirely down to lack of confidence,” she told The Telegraph. “Because I thought if I played anything straight, people would laugh at me, so I might as well do something where they were meant to laugh.”