Born into an acting family, her father Nadim Sawalha has starred in two bond films alongside the likes of Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton, whilst her older sister Nadia has starred in everything from EastEnders and Benidorm and is also a regular on Loose Women yet it’s Julia that is the jewel in the family’s acting crown and here’s three TV shows that show why!
Press Gang:
Steven Moffat’s Press Gang is an absolute treat and now working for a student newspaper it feels like a documentary of life in The Courier office. Sawalha’s performance as Editor-in-Chief Lynda Day is a sheer delight. She is strong minded and opinionated, sensitive yet brutal, her performance is absolutely believable and her final scenes with the ghost of Gary are painfully raw and real. Bravo Ms. Sawalha!
Jonathan Creek:
I loved Jonathan Creek, it’s weird, wacky and wonderful but Carla Borrego, played by Sawalha, brought a touch of camp glamour to the show. She was sassy, flirty and just pretty bloody iconic! She strutted around with her gold anklet, in six inch stilettos and shoulder pads solving peculiar murders and seducing Alan Davies from QI, I mean what’s not to love! My only complaint is that she didn’t stay in the series long enough.
Born into an acting family...yet it’s Julia that is the jewel in the family’s acting crown.
Absolutely Fabulous:
Ok, the one you have all been waiting for, I opened this article saying many of my generation aren’t aware of the name Julia Sawalha but if they are, they will know her from this incredible sitcom. I love it so much that I even have a tattoo dedicated to its central characters Patsy and Eddi. But it’s straight laced Saffy played by Sawalha that makes the show. Often the butt of the jokes but often giving as good as she gets too, does she need therapy yes, does she dress like an Oxbridge reject yes, do I love her yes! Oh, Sweetie Darling…
Special Mention- Second Thoughts:
An underrated, mostly unknown sitcom from the early 1990’s starring the late, great Lynda Bellingham as its central matriarch and Julia Sawalha as her long-suffering daughter, Hannah. Slick and quick is Sawalha when playing this fantastic character, so different from Saffy yet so similar- a must watch, cue YouTube!
Just read your article & think your spot in! I’d go as far as to say a bit of a national treasure!. Absolutely Fabulous & Press Gang will always be a faves but she was also sublime in the film In the bleak Midwinter. Hope to see her on tv again sometime soon 🙂