Gillian Raine


Gillian Mary Lorraine, known professionally as Gillian Raine, was a British actress, singer and the wife of the actor Leonard Rossiter from 1964-1984, though they had been living together since 1962. They had one daughter, Camilla.
Raine appeared in a variety of repertory theatre, TV drama and film productions. Her theatre works included Hedda Gabler, 2005, at The Duke of York's Theatre, Richard Eyre’s production of La Grande Magia for the National Theatre, Mike Bradwell’s Mackerel Sky at the Bush Theatre and Bill Bryden’s production of A Month in the Country at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and in the West End at the Albery Theatre. Film work included Darling and A Night to Remember and on television Kiss Me Kate, Suddenly Last Summer, Vanity Fair, A Very Peculiar Practice and Under the Hammer. She met Rossiter when they were both appearing in the play Semi-Detached in 1962 at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. At this time Leonard was married to Josephine Tewson. During the play's second run at the Belgrade, in September 1963, Leonard and Gillian fell in love and started to live together, although they did not to marry until 1972. She played the part of Phyllis Bennett in the 1987 TV Series, The Charmer starring Nigel Havers, and appeared as Harriet Longthorn in New Tricks. Raine died in 2018 at the age of 91.

Selected filmography