NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Rula Lenska

Rula Lenska (born Roza-Marie Leopoldyna Lubienska on 30 September 1947) is an English-born actress of Polish extraction who is best known for her television work and for her marriage to Dennis Waterman. September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The English are an ethnic group and nation primarily associated with England and the English language. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke while waiting between takes during location filming An actor or actress is a person who acts, or plays a role, in a dramatic production. ... Dennis in The Sweeney For the character in Little Britain, see Dennis Waterman (Little Britain). ...

Early life

Roza-Marie Lubienska was born in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, England in 1947. Her father had led Radio Free Europe in Poland, he was from noble family with "count" title. St Neots is a town of about 26,000 people on the River Great Ouse. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi Population - 2006 est. ... Cover of Radio Liberty booklet The Most Important Job in the World Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a radio and communications organization which is funded by the United States Congress. ...

Early career

Her big break was as Little Ladies' band member, "Q", in the British TV series Rock Follies (1976) and its sequel Rock Follies of '77 the following year. Rock Follies, and its sequel, Rock Follies of 77, was an innovative and groundbreaking comedy musical drama shown on British television in the mid 1970s. ...

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she became famous in the United States and Canada as well for her Alberto VO5 hair products commercials that began with a closeup of her stating: "I'm Rula Lenska". People assumed this was a product endorsement by a celebrity whose name the advertisers expected them to know, but it later was revealed that this was a marketing ploy. It worked, and thus in the United States she became famous for pretending to be famous. Most people in the U.S. were not aware that she had an acting career in the United Kingdom, and believed she was just a model. Alberto VO5 is a brand of Alberto-Culver that markets hair and skin beauty care products. ... In promotion and advertising, a testimonial or endorsement consists of a written or spoken statement, sometimes from a public figure, sometimes from a private citizen, extolling the virtue of some product. ... Megastar redirects here. ...

At any rate, the 'discovery' that she was nobody famous in the U.S. led to the eventual demise of her commercial 'starring roles.'

Film, TV and radio

She has appeared in television series such as Special Branch, Minder, Boon, The Detectives, Footballers' Wives, To the Manor Born, One Foot in the Grave, Casualty, Space: 1999, Return of the Saint, Robin Of Sherwood, the Doctor Who serial, Resurrection of the Daleks and EastEnders, in which she played Frank Butcher's girlfriend, Krystal, in a Costa del Sol special (2002). She starred with the late John Inman in the short-lived (six episodes were screened) 1981 series Take a Letter, Mr. Jones, with Lenska as an executive and Inman as her secretary. Special Branch is a British television series made by Thames Television for ITV and shown between 1969 and 1974. ... Minder (book cover) Minder on the cover of TV Times magazine. ... Boon was a British television drama series starring Michael Elphick, David Daker and Neil Morrissey. ... The Detectives (1993-1997) was a British comedy series, starring Jasper Carrott, Robert Powell, and George Sewell. ... See also WAGs, acronym for footballers wives and girlfriends. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... To the Manor Born was a popular and high-rating British sitcom which ran for a total of twenty-one episodes over three series between 1979 and 1981. ... One Foot in the Grave was a popular BBC television situation comedy series written by David Renwick. ... Casualty is a long-running BBC television drama serial, first broadcast in 1986 and transmitted on BBC One. ... Left to right: Barbara Bain, Catherine Schell and Martin Landau from Space:1999s second season. ... Return of the Saint was a British action-adventure television series that aired for one season in 1978 and 1979 in Britain on ITV, and was also broadcast on CBS in the United States. ... Robin of Sherwood, retitled Robin Hood in the US, was an acclaimed 1980s British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC about the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space with his companions, solving problems and righting wrongs. ... Resurrection of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from February 8 to February 15, 1984. ... EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985[2] and continuing to date. ... Frank Butcher was a fictional character in the popular British soap opera EastEnders. ... The Costa del Sol is a region which comprises the coastal towns and communities in the MÃ¡laga province, along the Mediterranean coastline. ... John Inman (born 28 June 1935, in Preston, Lancashire, England) is a British actor. ... Take A Letter, Mr. ...

She played the Lintilla clones in the original Radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and can also be heard in the third, fourth and fifth radio series which debuted on BBC Radio 4 in May 2005. She has presented travel programmes for the BBC and has recorded many audiobooks. The cover of the first novel in the Hitchhikers series, from a late 1990s printing. ... BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of chiefly spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- â†’ Wikimedia Commons has media related to: May 2005 Deaths in May May 26: Eddie Albert May 25: Ismail Merchant May 25: Sunil Dutt May 25: Graham Kennedy May 22: Thurl Ravenscroft May 21: Howard Morris May 21... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GBÂ£4 billion...

In the 2005 film Gypo, which was the first UK feature film to be made under Dogme rules, she plays a Roma refugee from the Czech Republic living on a caravan site in Margate. Dogme 95 is a movement in filmmaking developed in 1995 by the Danish directors Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Kristian Levring, and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen. ... Tzigane redirects here; for the composition by Maurice Ravel, see Tzigane (Ravel). ... Statistics Population: 58,465 (2001 census) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TR355705 Administration District: Thanet Shire county: Kent Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Kent Historic county: Kent Services Police force: {{{Police}}} Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: South East Coast Post office...

Stage roles

She has toured extensively both in the UK and abroad and appeared in several West End shows (most recently in The Vagina Monologues and 84 Charing Cross Road) and in many pantomimes. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 84, Charing Cross Road is the title of a book by Helene Hanff, published in 1970 about the long correspondence (1949-1969) between Hanff, a resident of New York City, and Frank Doel of the Marks & Co. ...

In December 2005, she appeared on stage with the London Gay Men's Chorus for their Christmas Show, Make the Yuletide Gay. She sang and danced while also hosting the show at Symphony Hall in Birmingham, the ([1]) Dome Concert Hall in Brighton and the Barbican Centre in London. the London Gay Mens Chorus, Barbican Hall, London - December 2004. ... Symphony Hall is a concert venue located inside the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham, England. ... This article is about the city in England. ... This article is about the English city; for other places called Brighton, see Brighton (disambiguation). ... Barbican Arts Centre and lakeside terrace Interior - concert hall foyer; library and gallery above The Barbican Arts Centre opened in 1982, after a long and at times painful gestation which dated right back to the area having been badly bombed during World War II. The Barbican is owned, funded and... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

In 2007 she is to tour alongside Marti Webb and Sheila Ferguson in a new musical about the menopause called Hot Flush. Marti Webb in Andrew Lloyd Webbers Song and Dance (1982) Marti Webb (born 13 December 1944, in London) is a musical actress from England, who appeared on stage in Evita, before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webbers one woman show Tell Me On A Sunday in the mid 1980s. ... Sheila Ferguson (born October 8, 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was the lead singer of 1970s American all woman soul music group The Three Degrees. ...

Celebrity Big Brother

Her work on tour with the London Gay Men's Chorus is assumed to have prompted her participation ^{[citation needed]} in the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother in January 2006. Her reason for accepting the invitation to go on the show was "I'm a crazy Polish countess who likes a challenge". Celebrity Big Brother is a British TV reality show shown on Channel Four in which a number of celebrity contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large cash prize being donated to the winners nominated charity...

During the show, she declared that she had been a “Tibetan Buddhist” for many years but had been practising “Buddhism for the common man”, which had no hierarchical structure, for two years. Tibetan Buddhism, (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ...

On January 13, 2006, with fellow housemate, renegade British MP George Galloway, she attracted the attention of the media by indulging in a curious role-play incident in which Galloway, as a cat, pretended to lick milk from her cupped hands, and Lenska stroked his ears and moustache. This bizarre, and arguably disturbing incident has actually benefited Rula. After her departure from the Big Brother house she was offered a five figure deal to promote a famous cat food brand. The commercials are yet to be broadcast. On another occasion during her time in the BB house, when accidentally locked in the toilet, singer Pete Burns quipped, "Oh dear, what can the matter be, clapped out actress stuck in the lavatory." January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... George Galloway (born 16 August 1954) is a Scottish politician noted for his far left and socialist views, confrontational style, and rhetorical skill. ... Peter Gezzepe Burns, (born August 5, 1959, Port Sunlight, England) is a singer/songwriter and the frontman of the New Wave band Dead or Alive, most famous for their number one single, You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) in 1985. ...

Lenska was voted out of the show on January 20, 2006, the third housemate of the series to be evicted, after Jodie Marsh and Faria Alam. January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Jodie Louisa Marsh (born 23 December 1978) is an English television personality, glamour model and tabloid favourite. ... Faria Alam Faria Alam, (born 3 September 1966 in Bangladesh, then East Pakistan) was a Football Association secretary who had an affair with former England national football team manager Sven-GÃ¶ran Eriksson and FA chief executive Mark Palios, leading to Palioss resignation. ...

On January 23, three days after her eviction, she gave an interview to UK radio station BBC Radio Five Live berating Pete Burns for his attitude and unfriendliness towards her. She also expressed disgust at Burns's wearing of a monkey fur coat. The "cat" incident with Galloway was highlighted, but Lenska insisted that there was nothing "untoward" about it, and laughed off any suggestion that she was romantically interested in the controversial MP. January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC Radio Five Live is the BBCs radio service providing live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries. ... Peter Gezzepe Burns, (born August 5, 1959, Port Sunlight, England) is a singer/songwriter and the frontman of the New Wave band Dead or Alive, most famous for their number one single, You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) in 1985. ...

Personal life

Her marriage to Waterman was famously stormy. They met on the set of Minder in 1982. They divorced amid reports of his violence and heavy drinking. Incidentally, Waterman's daughter Hannah Waterman, starred in the soap EastEnders at the same time Lenska made her guest appearances there. Actors in period costume sharing a joke while waiting between takes during location filming An actor or actress is a person who acts, or plays a role, in a dramatic production. ... Brian Deacon (born on February 13, 1949 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England) is an English actor. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke while waiting between takes during location filming An actor or actress is a person who acts, or plays a role, in a dramatic production. ... Dennis in The Sweeney For the character in Little Britain, see Dennis Waterman (Little Britain). ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Minder (book cover) Minder on the cover of TV Times magazine. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hannah Waterman (born 22 July 1975 in London, England) is a British actress, daughter of Minder star Dennis Waterman and his first wife, actress Patricia Maynard A graduate of the University of Warwick, Waterman joined the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders as Laura Dunn in February 2000 and left... EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985[2] and continuing to date. ...

She is a blood donor and also an ardent conservationist, and has travelled widely raising awareness about the world's dwindling wildlife. Blood donation is a process by which a blood donor voluntarily has blood drawn for storage in a blood bank or for subsequent use in a blood transfusion. ... Conservationists are those people who tend to more highly rank the wise use of the Earths resources and ecosystems. ...

In an interview with The Independent, she described herself as "passionate, romantic and slightly eccentric". She is a heavy smoker. The Independent is a British compact newspaper published by Tony OReillys Independent News & Media. ...

External links

Contents

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