Anna Karen, beloved star of a hit sitcom and movies across the Pond, has died in a house fire.
She was 85.
The former star of “On the Buses” and “EastEnders” died in her East London home, The Guardian and other outlets reported.
In her most iconic role, the actress channeled put-upon wife Olive Rudge in the bawdy, popular British comedy “On the Buses.”
“The writers wanted her to look a mess, so I didn’t wear make-up, wore a wig that made my head look flat and had padding around my stomach to look plump,” Karen said in an interview quoted by The Guardian. “I based her on someone I knew in South Africa who was always desperate for men. She was terribly insecure, which applied to Olive, too.”
Critics panned it, but the “On the Buses” won acclaim from viewers, 16 million of whom watched it for seven series and 74 episodes, until it ended in 1973 with Olive and her grumpy husband Arthur’s divorce. Three box-office-smash spinoff films followed.
On “EastEnders” she played Aunt Sal, turning up mainly at family weddings and parties in occasional appearances from 1996 to 2017.
Born in Durban, South Africa, Karen knew at age 6 that she wanted to act, according to an obituary in The Guardian. After her father died, Karen, her mother and sister moved to London when she was 16, and she stayed there even after her family moved on. She put herself through acting school by working as a stripper, where she learned all she needed to know about stage timing and entertaining a live audience, she would later tell The Guardian.
Few details were available about the fire itself.
“Sadly, a woman has died following a house fire on Windsor Road in Ilford,” the London Fire Brigade said in a brief statement. “Part of the ground floor of a mid-terrace house was damaged by fire. Sadly a woman was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Neighbors who saw smoke billowing from the front door called for help at around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, and an hour later it was under control, thanks to about 20 firefighters and three fire engines from two local districts, the brigade said. However it was too late to save the bedridden Karen.
As authorities investigated the fire’s cause, tributes poured forth from fans and former co-stars alike.
“I just heard the awful news about the wonderful Anna Karen,” tweeted fellow EastEnders actor Rita Simons. “Horrific and awful and so, so sad. She was one of the best. Sleep well lovely Anna. Sending all my love to her family and friends.”
Her former show gave a statement as well.
“We are deeply saddened to hear that Anna Karen has passed away,” a spokeswoman for EastEnders told BBC News. “Anna created a sharp, quick witted and extremely popular character in Aunt Sal that the audience will never forget, just as those who worked with her at EastEnders will never forget her warmth, kindness, fun and good humour.”
Bucks Fizz singer Cheryl Baker bemoaned the loss of her close friend.
“What an horrific way to die, I can’t bear to think about it,” Baker said on Twitter. “I adored her – she was an absolute treasure, both on and off the screen.”
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