Lysette Anthony (born 26 September 1963) is a British actress and model best known for her roles in Krull (1983), Husbands and Wives (1992), and as Marnie Nightingale in Hollyoaks (2016–2022). Dubbed the “Face of the Eighties” by photographer David Bailey, she transitioned from supermodel to acclaimed actress, appearing in Hollywood films and acclaimed BBC productions. In 2022, she publicly disclosed her Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
Lysette Anthony is one of Britain’s most versatile and resilient actresses, whose career spans over four decades across film, television, stage, and audio drama. Born in London in 1963 to two actors, she was discovered as a model at 16 and quickly rose to international fame before pivoting to acting. Her film career includes memorable appearances in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives and Mel Brooks’ Dracula: Dead and Loving It. On television, she became a beloved fixture in British soap opera culture through her long-running role in Hollyoaks. Beyond her professional life, Anthony has shown extraordinary personal courage — bravely speaking out against Harvey Weinstein in 2017 and publicly sharing her Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2022, inspiring thousands worldwide.
Quick Bio Table
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Lysette Anne Chodzko |
| Stage Name | Lysette Anthony |
| Date of Birth | 26 September 1963 |
| Place of Birth | Marylebone / Fulham, London, UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actress, Model, Producer |
| Years Active | 1974 – Present |
| Known For | Krull (1983), Husbands and Wives (1992), Hollyoaks (2016–2022) |
| Parents | Michael Adam Anthony (actor), Bernadette Milnes (actress) |
| Ex-Spouses | Luc Leestemaker (m. 1990–1995), David Price (m. 1995–1997) |
| Children | 1 son (with Simon Boswell) |
| Health | Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 52 |
| Production Company | Barnaby Pictures |
Who Is Lysette Anthony? An Introduction to a British Icon
The Early Life of a Star Born Into the Arts
Lysette Anne Chodzko came into the world on 26 September 1963 in London, England, the only child of two working actors — Michael Adam Anthony and Bernadette Milnes. Growing up in a creative household might suggest a comfortable, glamorous upbringing, but the reality was far more complex and challenging. Her parents separated early in her childhood, and her mother’s battles with manic depression and schizophrenia made home life deeply unstable. By the time she was 19, Lysette had left home altogether, determined to forge her own path. This difficult beginning, rather than breaking her, seemed to cultivate in her a fierce independence and resilience that would define the decades to come. Her multicultural heritage — with a French-born grandfather of Polish-Ukrainian descent — gave her an additional layer of depth and European sensibility that would later serve her well across international stages and screens.
A Prodigy on Stage from the Very Beginning
Long before magazine covers and film sets, Lysette’s performing instincts were evident from childhood. She made her very first stage appearance at the historic Cambridge Theatre in London at just 10 years old — a milestone that left her parents equal parts proud and alarmed by her natural boldness. Four years later, at 14, she became one of the youngest members ever accepted into the prestigious National Youth Theatre, a training ground that has produced some of Britain’s finest performers. Around this same time, she began dabbling in modelling, driven as much by financial necessity as by natural opportunity. Stage and runway coexisted comfortably in her young world, and audiences in both arenas quickly took note. This early dual-track career set a precedent for the kind of multi-talented professional she would become throughout her adult life.
“Face of the Eighties” — The Supermodel Years
How David Bailey Changed Everything for Young Lysette
In 1980, when Lysette was just 16 years old, legendary British fashion photographer David Bailey singled her out and declared her the “Face of the Eighties” — a title that launched her into the stratosphere of international modelling almost overnight. What followed was a whirlwind period of magazine covers, high-fashion campaigns, and widespread recognition that most young women could only dream of. She graced the covers of top publications across Europe and became a recognisable face on an international stage. However, Lysette was never content to simply be seen; she wanted to perform. With characteristic shrewdness, she took the substantial earnings from her modelling career and reinvested them directly into professional acting lessons, methodically laying the groundwork for the career transition she had always envisioned. This calculated move demonstrated a maturity and long-term thinking rare for someone so young and newly famous.
Music Videos and Pop Culture Moments of the 1980s
One of the most delightful and often-overlooked chapters of Lysette’s 1980s career was her prolific presence in the music video world. She appeared in a string of iconic videos for Bryan Adams — including “Summer of ’69,” “Somebody,” “Heaven,” and “Run to You” — from his landmark 1984 album Reckless, cementing her status as one of the decade’s most visually captivating presences on screen. She also appeared in Depeche Mode’s striking “I Feel You” video, crossing genres with ease and demonstrating the kind of on-screen magnetism that simply cannot be manufactured. These appearances kept her face and name in front of global audiences even as she was quietly preparing for the pivot to full-time acting. The music video era effectively served as her on-camera training ground — natural, unscripted exposure to the film medium that would prove invaluable as she stepped into more demanding dramatic roles.
Breaking Into Film and Television
From Princess Lyssa to Hollywood: The Acting Career Takes Flight
Lysette Anthony’s formal acting career launched in impressive fashion. Her first major television role came in 1982 with the CBS adaptation of Ivanhoe, where she played Lady Rowena with grace and conviction. The following year, 1983, brought her film debut in the fantasy epic Krull, where she played Princess Lyssa — a role that introduced her to international cinema audiences and demonstrated real star quality. The same year, she appeared in the acclaimed ITV comedy-drama Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, proving she could hold her own in an ensemble of highly experienced British performers. For four years she starred in the BBC sitcom Three Up, Two Down, building a loyal television audience base in the UK. These early roles established her not as a model playing at acting, but as a genuinely skilled performer who happened to also have extraordinary looks — a crucial distinction that would shape the rest of her career.
Woody Allen, Hollywood, and the Role That Almost Changed Everything
In 1992, Lysette Anthony landed what should have been her defining Hollywood breakthrough — a memorable supporting role alongside Sydney Pollack in Woody Allen’s critically acclaimed Husbands and Wives. She played Sam with wit and warmth, and critics responded warmly. Industry insiders began whispering about award possibilities. Hollywood was paying attention. Then came one of the most remarkable examples of bad timing in cinema history: the film’s release coincided almost precisely with the eruption of the scandal surrounding Woody Allen’s relationship with his adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. Public attention, which should have been fixed on the film and its performances, was entirely consumed by the controversy. Lysette later described the experience with characteristic candour as “guilt by association,” noting that what might have been an Oscar nomination became lost in the noise of a scandal that had nothing to do with her. It was a cruel twist of fate for a performer who had done everything right.
Stage Work and Theatre: The Craft Behind the Camera
West End Productions and a Lifelong Love of the Stage
Throughout the peaks and valleys of her film and television career, Lysette Anthony consistently returned to the stage as a creative anchor. She performed in a sell-out run at the Trafalgar Studios in London’s West End, playing Arabella Lucretia in the hit comedy The New Statesman alongside the beloved Rik Mayall — a performance that earned widespread praise from theatre critics and audiences alike. She took on the role of Joanna Lyppiatt in Noël Coward’s Present Laughter opposite the distinguished Simon Callow, demonstrating her ability to inhabit the complex rhythms of classic British comedy-drama. At the West Yorkshire Playhouse, she played Eleanor in Terry Johnson’s Dead Funny to considerable acclaim. Stage, for Lysette, has never been a lesser or backup option — it has been a place of genuine artistic nourishment, where the craft can be practised and refined away from the commercial pressures of the film and television industries.
Voice Work and Audio Drama: An Invisible But Vital Career Thread
A lesser-known but genuinely impressive dimension of Lysette Anthony’s performing career is her extensive work in audio drama. In 2008, she voiced Clara Harris in the Doctor Who audio adventure Assassin in the Limelight — a role that introduced her to an entirely new and passionate fanbase. In 2010, she returned to audio drama with the Dark Shadows production Kingdom of the Dead, reprising an association with the gothic franchise she had first explored on television when she played Angelique Bouchard in NBC’s 1991 revival of the classic series. Audio work demands a different kind of acting entirely — the voice must carry all the emotional weight that the body normally helps to share — and Lysette’s proficiency in this medium speaks to the breadth and depth of her technical skills as a performer. It is a strand of her career that deserves far more recognition than it typically receives.
Hollyoaks and the Marnie Nightingale Years
Six Years as Marnie: A Second Act in British Soap
In February 2016, Lysette Anthony began what would become one of the most significant chapters of her television career, joining the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as the formidable Marnie Nightingale. The character — a fiercely glamorous, morally complex matriarch — was tailor-made for Anthony’s particular combination of sophistication, strength, and smouldering unpredictability. For nearly six years, she brought Marnie to life with a commitment and consistency that earned her a devoted new fan following and considerable critical respect within the soap opera world. Her character’s storylines were often dramatic and emotionally demanding, requiring Anthony to draw on every corner of her considerable experience. Then, in January 2022, Marnie was killed off — the character collapsing following a brain injury caused by an explosion — bringing Anthony’s run on the show to a close after almost six richly rewarding years.
Behind the Scenes: Controversy and the Legal Battle
Lysette Anthony’s departure from Hollyoaks was not entirely smooth. Following the end of her character’s storyline, she posted openly on social media about what she described as “18 months of humiliation” at the soap. She subsequently brought a legal claim against production company Lime Pictures, alleging race discrimination and disability discrimination — the latter related to her Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. She claimed her on-screen time had been reduced in ways she considered discriminatory. The case was ultimately dismissed by a Liverpool employment tribunal in 2024 after Anthony failed to respond to requests for further details from the tribunal. While the outcome was not in her favour, the public nature of the dispute shed important light on working conditions within the soap opera industry, particularly for performers managing serious health conditions. In October 2022, she went on to appear in three episodes of the BBC soap Doctors before that series was cancelled in 2023.
Personal Life: Love, Loss, and Resilience
Marriages, Relationships, and Raising a Son
Lysette Anthony’s personal life has been as eventful and richly textured as her professional one. She married Dutch artist and entrepreneur Luc Leestemaker in 1990, but the marriage ended in 1995 when she fell for American film director David Price, whom she had met on the set of Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde. Her relationship with Price lasted only two years before that marriage too ended in divorce. From 2004 to 2010, she was in a relationship with acclaimed film composer Simon Boswell, with whom she has a son. In 2008, her son was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis — a devastating blow for any parent — and Anthony has since channelled that personal pain into charitable advocacy, raising funds for arthritis research. In 2023, she entered a new relationship with actor Marcus Gilbert, but tragically, Gilbert passed away in January 2026, adding another profound loss to a life already marked by considerable personal struggle.
Speaking Out: The Harvey Weinstein Allegation
A Brave Voice in the #MeToo Movement
On 15 October 2017, Lysette Anthony became one of the most prominent British voices in the emerging #MeToo reckoning, publishing an allegation in The Sunday Times that Harvey Weinstein had raped her in her London home in the late 1980s. She described remaining silent for years out of fear and shame, saying she had felt “scared and humiliated” and terrified about her ability to care for her child. What gave her the courage to speak out was watching other women come forward with their own accounts of Weinstein’s behaviour. Her testimony was significant not only as a personal act of courage but also as part of the avalanche of credible allegations that ultimately led to Weinstein’s criminal conviction. Lysette’s willingness to face public scrutiny and relive a deeply traumatic experience in order to support other survivors is perhaps the most quietly heroic thing she has ever done — far more important, in a human sense, than any role she has played on stage or screen.
Living With Parkinson’s Disease: Courage and Advocacy
The Diagnosis That Came on the Day of a Career High
In March 2022, Lysette Anthony made headlines not for a new role but for something far more personal and significant — she publicly disclosed that she had been living with Parkinson’s disease for six years, having first been diagnosed at the age of 52, on the very same day she auditioned for Hollyoaks. She revealed that her first symptoms were tremors in her hands while attempting to light a cigarette during a stage performance, and that it was hearing the late Sir Billy Connolly discuss his own Parkinson’s experience on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that made her realise what she was dealing with. Only one Hollyoaks co-star, Gregory Finnegan, had known throughout her entire time on the soap. Anthony has spoken with remarkable openness about her condition, even giving her Parkinson’s the nickname “Parky” as a way of asserting control and reducing fear. Her advocacy has made a meaningful contribution to public awareness of the condition.
Legacy and Enduring Impact on British Entertainment
What Lysette Anthony Means to British Culture
To assess Lysette Anthony’s legacy is to appreciate that she has operated at the intersection of multiple cultural moments across four decades. She was the definitive face of a particular kind of 1980s British beauty and poise. She brought credibility to genre film and television at a time when those categories were not always taken seriously. She contributed to some of the most beloved British sitcoms and soap operas of the modern era. And she has shown, particularly in the last decade of her career, a willingness to use her public platform to speak uncomfortable truths — about abuse in the entertainment industry and about health challenges that carry social stigma. The story of Lysette Anthony is ultimately about someone who refused to be merely a beautiful face, insisting instead on being a complete, complex, endlessly resourceful artist and human being. That, more than any single role, is the measure of her lasting significance.
Conclusion
Lysette Anthony is one of those rare public figures whose biography reads as a study in sustained courage — professional, personal, and moral. From her days as a teenage model gracing international magazine covers to her decades of nuanced performances across film, television, and stage; from her heartbreaking near-miss in Hollywood to her six-year commitment to Hollyoaks; from speaking out against a powerful abuser to publicly embracing her Parkinson’s diagnosis with grace and humour — she has consistently chosen authenticity over comfort. She is a talent who deserved more recognition than the industry gave her, and a person whose resilience and honesty have made her something more enduring than a celebrity: a genuine role model.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who is Lysette Anthony?
Lysette Anthony is a British actress and former model, born in London in 1963. She is known for her roles in Krull (1983), Husbands and Wives (1992), and as Marnie Nightingale in Hollyoaks (2016–2022).
Q2. What is Lysette Anthony best known for?
She is best known for her role as Marnie Nightingale in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, her appearance in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives, and being named the “Face of the Eighties” by photographer David Bailey.
Q3. Does Lysette Anthony have Parkinson’s disease?
Yes. In 2022, she publicly revealed she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 52 — on the same day she auditioned for Hollyoaks. She has since become a vocal advocate for Parkinson’s awareness.
Q4. What did Lysette Anthony say about Harvey Weinstein?
In October 2017, she alleged in The Sunday Times that Weinstein had raped her in her London home in the late 1980s. She became one of the most prominent British voices in the #MeToo movement.
Q5. How many times has Lysette Anthony been married?
She has been married twice — to Dutch entrepreneur Luc Leestemaker (1990–1995) and to American film director David Price (1995–1997).
Q6. Does Lysette Anthony have children?
Yes, she has one son, born from her relationship with film composer Simon Boswell (2004–2010). Her son was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis in 2008, which led her to become a charity fundraiser for arthritis research.
Q7. What is Lysette Anthony doing now?
As of 2024–2026, Anthony has remained active in entertainment and advocacy work. She appeared in the BBC soap Doctors and has been involved in the Book of Nightmares film project. She continues to raise awareness around Parkinson’s disease.
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