Anna Karen, born Ann Harrison McCall, (19 September 1936 — 22 February 2022), was a South-African born British actress best known for playing Olive Rudge in On the Buses and The Rag Trade, and Aunt Sal in EastEnders.
Her film career began in the early '60s with small roles in films such as The Sandwich Man and Poor Cow. She made bit appearances in two Carry On films; In her first, Carry On Camping, her most notable scene was a fight with Barbara Windsor, and the two became good friends thereafter. When Windsor was cast in the now mostly-lost series Wild, Wild Women, she encouraged Karen to audition for a role, leading to her playing the role of Maude.
As Wild, Wild Women was being produced, Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney offered her the role of the frumpy Olive Rudge in On the Buses. Karen appeared in every episode of the series in thick glasses and a poorly groomed wig, ironic for Karen, who was a model when she wasn't acting. Karen also appeared in all three spin-off films.
After On the Buses' final episode, Karen made a return to acting in theatre the next year. In 1975, she and Bob Grant (a co-star from On the Buses) starred in a pilot of a series called Milk-O, however the pilot was not picked up for a full series. When The Rag Trade had a Revival in 1977, Karen reprised her previous role of Olive (now in an all-new setting), as the two series were created by the same duo of Chesney and Wolfe.
After spending The '80s in mostly theatre and children's media, she was reunited with Barbara Windsor once more in EastEnders in 1996. Playing Windsor's sister, Aunt Sal, Karen made infrequent appearances in the Soap Opera until 2017.
She continued to appear at fan conventions until 2019, and she tragically died in a house fire at the age of 85.
Not to be mistaken with Anna Karenina or Anna Karina.
Works on TV Tropes she appeared in:
Films- Carry On Camping (1969) — Hefty Girl
- Carry On Loving (1970) — Wife
- On the Buses (1971) — Olive Rudge
- Mutiny on the Buses (1972) — Olive Rudge
- Holiday on the Buses (1973) — Olive Rudge
- On the Buses, 74 episodes (1969-73) — Olive Rudge
- Dixon of Dock Green, episode "Waste Land" (1970) — Housewife
- Rainbow, episode "Food: Potatoes" (1976) — Anna
- Roland Rat: The Series, 14 episodes (1986) — Maureen McConkey
- The Sooty Show, episode "Computer Dating" (1987) — Mrs. Woodhead
- Super Gran, episode "Chisleton Street Blues" (1987) — Commander S. Obvious
- EastEnders, 56 episodes (1996-2017) — Aunt Sal Martin
- Goodnight Sweetheart, episode "Have You Ever Seen a Dream Walking?" (1998) — Mrs. Hardcore
- The Bill, 2 episodesshow list (2002) — Margie Connell
- Doctors, episode "Small Favours" (2014) — Renee Gossman
