Pam St. Clement

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Pam St. Clement bigraphy, stories - British actor

Pam St. Clement : biography

12 May 1942 –

Pam St Clement (born 12 May 1942) is a British actress. She played Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 1986–2012, becoming one of the programme’s longest-serving cast members. Clement announced her intention to leave EastEnders on 8 July 2011, and the character departed on 1 January 2012. She started her acting career in 1972, where she worked extensively on stage.

Awards and nominations

Year Result Award Category Film or series Character
2012 British Soap Awards Best Single Episode EastEnders – Pat: An End of an Era Pat Butcher
British Soap Awards Best Exit EastEnders Pat Butcher
British Soap Awards Lifetime Achievement Award EastEnders Pat Butcher

Career

Early career

Clement has worked extensively on the stage, in films and on television. Her acting career began in the 1970s, when she joined a small theatre company and she went on to have minor roles in programmes such as The Onedin Line (1972); Follyfoot (1972) and Doomwatch (1972). Her first big break came in 1976, when she was cast in an episode of TV prison drama, Within These Walls.

Subsequent television credits have included: Van der Valk (1977); A Horseman Riding By as Meg Potter (1978); Emmerdale (1980) as Mrs. Anne Eckersley; Thomas & Sarah (1980); Enemy at the Door (1978; 1980); Play For Today (1980); Minder (1980); Shoestring (1980); Dangerous Davies (1981); Angels (1981); as Frau Bodelschwingh in Private Schulz (1981); The Chinese Detective (1982);The Tripods (1984) and Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense (1986). She has also appeared in films, which has included roles in: The Bunker (1981); Scrubbers (1983); Hitler’s SS: Portrait in Evil (1985); C.A.T.S Eyes (1985); and Biggles: Adventures in Time (1986).

EastEnders

In 1986 Clement was cast in her most notable role to date—Pat Butcher, the troublesome former prostitute and ex-wife of Pete Beale (Peter Dean), in BBC’s EastEnders. She played the character continuously since her first appearance on 12 June 1986—over a year after the show began.

Clement’s character was originally brought in on a trial basis for a period of three episodes. However the series’ executive-producer, Julia Smith, decided to make the character long term. Clement initially had reservations about committing to the role, commenting: "I couldn’t envisage how this character, who creates absolute havoc everywhere she goes and is not at home with herself or with anybody else in the Square, could possibly fit in". However she was persuaded to continue by Smith, who said: "’We’ve only seen one layer of the onion skin—the defensiveness—now we’ll start to peel away more and get to the vulnerability that lies behind it’."

Pat went on to become one of the soap’s longest running characters, appearing in 2,183 episodes. She featured in a multitude of high profile storylines, which included four marriages—most notably to Frank Butcher (played by Mike Reid)—numerous affairs, feuds and a spell in prison for drink-driving (which led to a pedestrian dying). Clement has commented that her long run in the show has surprised even her "You are talking to a person who wouldn’t sign a West End contract if it was longer than a year…It’s madness…I have stuck with it so long because I am always looking to see where they take the character next". In 2006 Clement signed a £200,000 deal keeping her with EastEnders until at least 2008. She is currently the second longest serving cast member at EastEnders behind Adam Woodyatt and also the longest serving female cast member, having played Pat without break for her time on the show; June Brown took a 4 year break in the 90s, making Dot Branning the third longest running character. In June 2008, on her 22nd anniversary on EastEnders, Clement said she was excited about the next 22 years on the programme! In 2012, Clement won a Lifetime Achievement Award at The British Soap Awards, previously having been won by her co-stars Wendy Richard, June Brown and Barbara Windsor. In July 2011, it was announced that Clement was leaving EastEnders. Of her departure Clement said "I have enjoyed 25 and a half wonderful years in EastEnders creating the character of Pat but feel it’s time to hang up her earrings. Leaving the EastEnders ‘family’ will be akin to a bereavement. But I’m looking forward to the other work and life opportunities that I will have the time to pursue." She filmed her final scenes in November 2011, and the character departed on 1 January 2012.