Introduction
Diane Parish (born 1 November 1969) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Denise Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and DC Eva Sharpe in The Bill.
Career
After graduating from London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) she worked mainly in theatre, using the received pronunciation she was taught at RADA to extend her repertoire of Shakespeare playing, for example, Cordelia in Talawa Theatre Company's 1994 production of King Lear.
Parish has appeared in various television roles. In Lovejoy, starring Ian McShane, she played Beth Taylor, the replacement for the character Eric Catchpole. Beth's father also later appeared, played by Rudolph Walker who later went on to play Patrick Trueman in EastEnders opposite Parish's character Denise Fox.
Another television role was as Lola Christie, girlfriend of Mick McFarlane, the manager of the EastEnders night cafe, in 1998.
Parish has also appeared in television dramas including The Bill and its spin-off M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team, playing DC Eva Sharpe. Before The Bill she starred in Babyfather, for which she received the Royal Television Society's best actress award in 2001 – the first black actor to win a major RTS award.
Parish returned to EastEnders in May 2006 but this time playing regular character Denise Fox. She departed from the soap opera temporarily in January 2008 in order to give birth to her daughter, returning in June 2008.
Parish appeared as Millie in the 1996 film Indian Summer (also released under the title Alive And Kicking).
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Indian Summer | Millie | US title, Alive and Kicking |
| 1998 | Driving Miss Daisy Crazy | Daisy | Short |
Television
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Frank Stubbs | Receptionist | Episode: "Starlet" |
| 1993 | Screen One | Blackpool Waitress | Episode: "Wide-Eyed and Legless" |
| 1993–1994 | Lovejoy | Beth Taylor | Main role (series 5–6) |
| 1996 | The Final Passage | Milkie | TV film |
| 1997 | Casualty | Donna | Episode: "Déjà Vu" |
| 1997 | Holding On | Janet | TV miniseries |
| 1998 | Picking Up the Pieces | Lisa Gee | TV series |
| 1998 | EastEnders | Lola | Recurring role |
| 1999 | Real Women | Rachel | TV series |
| 2000 | The Vice | Shirley Robinson | Episodes: "Betrayed: Parts 1 & 2", "Lovesick: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2000–2001 | Clocking Off | Sylvia Robinson | Main role (series 1–2) |
| 2001 | Comedy Lab | Jacks | Episode: "Turn the World Down" |
| 2001–2002 | Babyfather | Lesley Bailey | Regular role |
| 2002–2004 | The Bill | Eva Sharpe | Regular role (series 18–20) |
| 2005 | Holby City | Lucy Faulds | Episode: "Live and Let Die" |
| 2005 | Murder Investigation Team | Eva Sharpe | Episodes: "2.1", "2.2", "2.3", "2.4" |
| 2005 | Waking the Dead | Sheryl Palliser | Episodes: "Black Run: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2006–present | EastEnders | Denise Fox | Regular role |
| 2010 | EastEnders: Farewell Stacey | Denise Fox | TV film |
| 2012 | The B&B: Kim's Place | Denise Fox | Episodes: "The Deadline", "Branching Out" |
| 2014 | EastEnders: The Ghosts of Ian Beale | Denise Fox | TV film |