Actress Judy Parfitt has been a regular on TV screens for almost seven decades and the Call the Midwife star has had her fair share of heartache and happiness both on and off screen

Judy Parfitt, the star of Call the Midwife, has had a long and successful acting career and has been a part of the popular BBC drama since 2012 – but what do we know about her?

Best known for her role as Sister Monica Joan in BBC’s hit series Call the Midwife, Judy Parfitt has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning several decades.

The 89-year-old actress, who has been a mainstay on Call the Midwife since 2012, boasts an impressive CV that includes stage, film, and TV roles.

Her journey began in 1953 when she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, sharing the stage with legendary actors like Laurence Olivier.

English actress Judy Parfitt back in 1971(Image: Getty Images)

Over the years, she has earned numerous BAFTA nominations for her sterling performances in popular dramas such as The Jewel in the Crown and Pride and Prejudice.

Despite missing out on the top prize for her supporting role in 2003’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, Judy continued to captivate audiences with her performances in beloved shows like Heartbeat, Midsomer Murders, Jonathan Creek, and Vera.

Judy has spoken affectionately about life with her late husband, Tony Steedman, who she married in 1963 and shared a son, David, born a year later.

The actress, reminiscing about her early days with Tony, known for his roles in Coronation Street and Citizen Smith, told the Express: “Tony had the leading role and he was always trying to make me laugh as I was a terrible giggler. The first time I saw him he was wearing this absolutely hideous bright red jumper, so he definitely made an impression.”

Judy Parfitt has been on the BBC show since 2012(Image: WireImage)

Judy continued, recalling Tony’s comedic nature, stating: “He had people in stitches wherever we went and he was always playing the fool. Whereas I tended to worry, Tony didn’t and he never took himself or anything too seriously.”

Tony sadly died in 2001, and since then, Judy has not remarried. She previously told Mail Online that, despite their careers, their home life was rather conventional.

She mentioned: “While both of us were very busy, at home it was a very traditional marriage. I enjoyed cooking and ironing his shirts for him.

“He loved to be my sous chef, chopping the vegetables while I made dinner. He enjoyed accompanying me to the supermarket, pushing my trolley – but it wasn’t to help me so much as he loved the opportunity to chat and joke with the other shoppers.”

Judy has candidly discussed her husband’s dementia struggle, previously sharing with the Loose Women panel why it’s vital to have conversations about it. Recalling her journey with her husband’s condition.

Judy in character as BBC’s Sister Monica Joan(Image: BBC / Nealstreat Productions / Ray Burmiston)

She revealed: “I always said with my husband, I lost my husband that I loved, but I gained a child that I love because they become your children, and they’re there physically, but they’re not with you.”

Despite facing personal tragedy, Judy continues to win over viewers in her role as Sister Monica Joan on Call the Midwife.

Born in Sheffield back in 1935, Judy reminisced with Saga magazine about her wartime childhood and how it taught her about resilience, saying: “Growing up in the war, I learned how people just got on with [things] despite food rationing, bombs dropping, not knowing if they’d be alive the next day.”

She shared a particularly strong memory of the war when she was nine years old, recounting how her dad protected her: “[held] me in his arms as Sheffield lit up around us because it was being blitzed – yet people still went to work the next day!”