Actor and comedian Elaine C Smith has been awarded an honorary doctorate from The Open University in Scotland (OU) for her services to the arts.
The 63-year-old joins over 600 OU graduates from across Scotland in receiving their awards at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Monday.
Currently starring in BBC Scotland’s Two Doors Down with the BAFTA award-winning portrayal of the famously foul-mouthed Christine, Elaine’s career spans, television, theatre and stand-up comedy.
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The mum-of-two is perhaps best known for playing Mary Doll in Rab C Nesbitt, the longstanding BBC Two sitcom, yet her work extends well beyond this role.
She was part of the original theatrical cast and was instrumental in the production of the ground-breaking and enduringly popular play, The Steamie and she has been one of the few women to have headlined Scottish pantomime for over 20 years; opening up opportunities for young female performers to follow in her footsteps.
Together with her husband Bob, Elaine set up her own company RPM-ARTS producing a series of sell-out one woman shows - Shirley Valentine, The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Other television drama roles include Two Thousand Acres of Sky, 55 Degrees North and The Syndicate.
A highly successful stand-up, her shows have included Hormonally Driven, Elaine With Attitude, Twelve Nights of Christmas. She also fronted three series of STV’s Burdz Eye View which followed her discoveries as she toured Scotland. A recent career retrospective, The Moments that Made…Elaine C Smith called her ‘Scotland’s undisputed Queen of Comedy’.
Susan Stewart, director of the Open University in Scotland, hailed Elaine's 'versatility and verve'.
She told Glasgow Live: “Elaine C Smith is one of Scotland’s most recognisable and beloved actors, who has made an exceptional contribution to the arts throughout her long and distinguished career.
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“Few performers have brought such joy to our screens for so many years, and few actors can match Elaine’s versatility and verve. It is a pleasure to celebrate her unique place in Scottish culture and our national life.”
Elaine said she is 'honoured' to receive the accolade.
She added: “I’m absolutely thrilled and humbled to be honoured in this way by a truly wonderful and inspirational institution.
“I have been so fortunate in my own life and career to have been inspired by so many amazing women and men who have blazed a trail for all who have come behind. I hope in some small way I have, and will continue to do, the same for others, especially women.
“The Open University works so hard to inspire and so much more every single day and for that we should all be truly grateful.”
For more information on The Open University in Scotland visit their website.
