The beginnings
Penelope Ann Constance Hatfield was born in Surrey in 1940. She didn't know her father, and her mother worked as a hostess in a Clacton hotel. The two spent summers there and winters in Clapham, London with her grandparents. Penelope's mother remarried when she was eight and her surname was changed to Keith.

The voice
Aged six, Penelope was sent away to boarding school. It was here that she became interested in acting, and also here that her plummy enunciation developed. Penelope blames elocution lessons and says her upbringing wasn't posh. In fact, she has said her own life is more like the Goods in The Good Life than their snooty neighbours.

The look
At 5' 10", Penelope was rejected by her first acting school for being too tall. After graduating from the Weber Douglas Academy, she took on this philosophy: 'I was very tall and very plain - I wasn't going to get very far on looks - so I thought I'd better be the funny girl.'

The Midas touch
Penelope's character in The Good Life was intended as a minor part and didn't even appear in the first episode. She was such a hit the role was increased, and a BAFTA award followed. After that, Penelope was given the lead in a radio pilot called To the Manor Born. The finished product was so good it was transferred to television.

The roles
Penelope was typecast early as the haughty toff. However, she hasn't always played such prim characters. She has also played against type as a cheeky nurse in Carry on Doctor and has even played a French prostitute!

The good life?
Penelope married ex-policeman Rodney Timson in 1978 and adopted two boys in 1988. They live in a 17th century manor house in Surrey, where
Penelope is a keen gardener. This passion led to her arriving at rehearsals for The Good Life with seedlings and fruit for her co-stars.