TV star Brenda Blethyn has reflected on her childhood over the years, including having recalled a heartbreaking question that she posed to her mother amid "tough times". The actor - beloved for her role as ITV 's Vera - has become a household name since then, after having made her screen debut in the play Grown Ups, part of the BBC 's Playhouse series, in 1980. Her other career highlights include Secrets and Lies and The Seven Roses.
Her fan base may be eager to learn more about her life before becoming an actor. Brenda was born in Ramsgate, Kent, in 1946, as the youngest of nine children. She's shared that she came from a Roman Catholic, working-class family, with her mother Louisa being a housewife and former maid.
Louisa met Brenda's father, William, while they were both employed by the same household in Broadstairs. The family had a challenging start, living at their maternal grandmother's home for many years. It wasn't until 1944, after an engagement of 20 years and eight children, that the couple got married.
They moved into a small rented house in Ramsgate and by the time Brenda was born, her three eldest siblings, Pam, Ted and Bernard, had already flown the nest, reports Chronicle Live . The Vera star has six brothers and two sisters, named Jeannie and Pam. Her brothers are Bernard, Brian, Martin, Terry, Ted and Bill.
When Brenda was born, her father was nearly 52 and her mother was 41, making Brenda 20 years younger than her eldest sibling. In her memoir, Mixed Fanci.