Zoe Wanamaker, 76, is currently starring in series two of Bergerac, playing the detective's formidable mother-in-law Charlie Hungerford. The actress is best known for her role as Susan Harper in My Family (2000–2011), with other credits including Madame Hooch in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Princess Marie in Mr Selfridge, and Baghra in Shadow and Bone.
Wanamaker comes from a famous family. Her father, Sam Wanamaker, was an American actor and director who helped create the modern recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in Southwark. He is commemorated in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and was awarded an honorary CBE. His acting roles included The Spiral Staircase, Private Benjamin, and Baby Boom. He also directed the pilot of Lancer, fictionalised in Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, where he was portrayed by Nicholas Hammond. Her mother, Charlotte Holland, was a Canadian actress and radio performer, best known for Promise Her Anything.
In a 2015 interview with The Telegraph, Wanamaker admitted she 'found it difficult' to enter the Globe Theatre for 'a long time', saying: 'I knew how much it had cost both my mother and father – the struggle he'd had, the arguments, the fights about the bridge – now the “wobbly bridge” – which was his idea.' She added that her father had predicted the rise in property prices and buildings on the South Bank, stating: 'He was before his time. I am proud of it.' Both parents tried to discourage her from acting, but she said: 'I didn't think there was anything else I could do.'
Wanamaker married fellow actor Gawn Grainger in 1994. Grainger, best known for roles in Son of Man, The Shadow of the Tower, Strangers and Brothers, Doctor Who, Midsomer Murders, and What's My Line?, died in May 2025 aged 87. His death, surrounded by family, was confirmed by his agent Judy Daish. The couple had been married for over 30 years.
Bergerac is available to stream for free on U, and via U on Channel 4.
