British actor Joanna Bacon, best known for her role in Sky One’s four-season drama Breeders, has died at the age of 72.
Her death on July 14 comes after a “short and brave battle against cancer,” Harlow Theatre Company said in a statement shared Thursday on Facebook.
“Many of our members will remember Jo and her force of nature, her wit, her fun, her passion and her natural ability as an actor,” it read. “She became a member of Harlow Theatre Company at its inception in 1978. She appeared in many plays in iconic roles such as Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Maddie in Dirty Linen and Beverly in Abigail’s Party along with reviews, musicals and pantomimes all at the Harlow Playhouse.”
In addition to playing Jackie in 30 episodes of Breeders, Bacon also starred in the cult classic romcom, Love Actually, as the mom of Martine McCutcheon’s Natalie.
She more recently featured in five episodes of BBC One’s one-season mystery Moonflower Murders, which premiered in 2024, starring Lesley Manville and Tim McMullan.
Bacon trained at The Actors Institute, which inspired her to quit her job at Longmans Publishers and “venture into the world of professional acting with considerable success,” per the Harlow Theatre Company.
She landed her first acting role as Jane in Nell Dunn’s Steaming at Lancaster’s The Dukes Theatre.
Bacon also starred in the long-running British soap opera EastEnders as Maggie in two 1993 episodes.
She went on to star in stage performances at various theater companies, including Hampstead Theatre, the Sheffield Crucible, Stratford East, and the National Theatre.
Bacon’s next job was to be a character in Sharon Morgan’s next series, Mandy, according to the Harlow Theatre Company.
“Jo will be sadly missed and fondly remembered,” the tribute added. “She continued to support HTC attending many of our productions. She would settle herself in the front row with a notebook and watched with a critical eye and her passion for theatre. She never forgot to praise our work.”
Her Breeders co-star Martin Freeman reacted to her death in a statement to Entertainment Weekly, saying: “Joanna was a delightful person, smart and funny company, with a comic sensibility that was razor sharp and always on point. She was a beloved member of our Breeders family; we felt extremely lucky to have her. She will be missed by many.”
