Lysette Anthony is a British actress and former model born on 26 September 1963 in Marylebone, London. She is best known for roles in Krull (1983), Husbands and Wives (1992), and Channel 4’s Hollyoaks (2016–2022). Dubbed the “Face of the Eighties” by photographer David Bailey, she transitioned from modelling to acting and has since built a remarkable career spanning over four decades on screen and stage.
Lysette Anthony is one of Britain’s most enduring and multifaceted actresses, whose career stretches from the glamour of 1980s modelling to critically acclaimed television drama. Born into a theatrical family in London, she was photographed by David Bailey at 16 and quickly became an international model before pivoting to acting. Her film breakthrough came with the 1983 fantasy epic Krull, and she went on to star in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names. On British television, she became a beloved face on Hollyoaks for nearly six years. Beyond her on-screen achievements, Anthony has displayed remarkable personal courage — openly speaking about her Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, allegations against Harvey Weinstein, and her struggles with a difficult childhood — making her a figure of resilience, talent, and authenticity that resonates with audiences worldwide.
Quick Bio Table
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Lysette Anne Chodzko |
| Professional Name | Lysette Anthony |
| Date of Birth | 26 September 1963 |
| Place of Birth | Marylebone, London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Profession | Actress, Model, Producer |
| Known For | Krull (1983), Husbands and Wives (1992), Hollyoaks (2016–2022) |
| Parents | Michael Adam Anthony (actor), Bernadette Milnes (actress) |
| Marriages | Luc Leestemaker (1990–1995), David Price (1995–1997) |
| Children | One son (with composer Simon Boswell) |
| Health | Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 52 |
| Active Years | 1982 – Present |
| Production Company | Barnaby Pictures |
Who Is Lysette Anthony? A British Icon Redefined
Lysette Anthony is one of those rare British talents whose story reads like a screenplay — filled with triumphs, heartbreaks, comeback moments, and quiet courage. Born Lysette Anne Chodzko on 26 September 1963 in Marylebone, London, she grew up in a household steeped in performance and drama. Both her parents, Michael Adam Anthony and Bernadette Milnes, were actors, which meant the stage was quite literally in her blood. However, her childhood was far from easy. Her mother suffered from manic depression and schizophrenia, casting a long shadow over her formative years and eventually prompting her to leave home at the age of 19. From those difficult beginnings, she would rise to become a celebrated performer recognised across the United Kingdom and beyond.
The Early Life That Shaped a Star
Growing up in a home affected by mental illness was not a straightforward experience, and Anthony has spoken candidly about how those early years left a lasting mark. Despite the instability at home, she found refuge in the world of performance from a very young age. She made her very first stage appearance at the Cambridge Theatre at just 10 years old — a remarkable debut that hinted at the talent simmering within her. At 14, she became one of the youngest members ever accepted into the prestigious National Youth Theatre, a breeding ground for Britain’s finest acting talent. Her parents, perhaps alarmed by her precocious confidence on stage after an early performance in Pinocchio in London’s West End, sent her to a convent school in Torquay, Devon. This, ironically, only sharpened her discipline and focus.
Languages, Discipline, and Hidden Gifts
During her formative years, Anthony developed an impressive linguistic range, becoming fluent in both French and Dutch — skills that would prove useful throughout her international career. Her academic upbringing at the convent school in Devon grounded her in a way that the chaotic home environment perhaps could not. These years of quiet discipline away from the spotlight helped shape the serious, committed actress she would later become. She returned to performance with renewed energy, and by her mid-teens, it was already clear that she possessed something extraordinary — a magnetic presence that no amount of formal schooling could manufacture. Those who observed her early work consistently noted a natural authenticity that would become her defining quality throughout her career.
David Bailey, Modelling, and the Face of the Eighties
In 1980, when Lysette Anthony was just 16 years old, legendary fashion photographer David Bailey singled her out and dubbed her the “Face of the Eighties” — a title that immediately catapulted her into the international spotlight. It was a pronouncement that resonated across the fashion industry, and she quickly graced the covers of prominent magazines across Europe and beyond. Her look — a classic English rose beauty combined with an intelligent, expressive quality — made her irresistible to photographers, advertisers, and directors alike. During this period, she earned considerable income from modelling, and — crucially — she chose to invest those earnings directly into acting lessons rather than simply enjoying the financial rewards of her modelling success. That decision would prove to be one of the most defining choices of her life.
Music Videos and Pop Culture Icon Status
While building her modelling career, Anthony also carved out a fascinating niche in the world of music videos throughout the 1980s. She appeared in multiple promotional videos for megastar Bryan Adams, including iconic tracks from his landmark 1984 album Reckless — among them “Summer of ’69,” “Somebody,” “Heaven,” and “Run to You.” She also appeared in Depeche Mode’s “I Feel You” and later in Simian Mobile Disco’s “Cruel Intentions.” These appearances weren’t just commercial work — they kept her face in front of a massive popular audience and demonstrated a versatility that pure modelling could never offer. By the early 1980s, she had already made up her mind: acting was her true calling, and she would abandon modelling altogether once the roles began flowing in earnest.
Breaking Into Film — The Krull Breakthrough
Anthony’s film debut came in 1983 with the British-American fantasy epic Krull, in which she played Princess Lyssa — the central female role in a lavish, big-budget production. It was a significant opportunity for a young actress in her late teens, and she handled it with notable confidence. The film, while not a box office phenomenon, developed a loyal cult following over the decades and established Anthony as someone capable of carrying a major film role. Around the same time, she also appeared in the first series of ITV’s popular comedy-drama Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as Christa Norris, a role that introduced her to millions of British television viewers. This dual presence — in both cinema and prime-time British TV — was an impressive achievement for someone barely in her twenties, and it signalled that her career trajectory was firmly upward.
Hollywood Calling — Woody Allen and Husbands and Wives
The role that many consider the high watermark of Anthony’s film career came in 1992, when she was cast in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives — a critically acclaimed, semi-improvisational drama that featured some of Hollywood’s most respected talent. She played Sam, the aerobics instructor girlfriend of Sydney Pollack’s character, and her performance was warmly received by critics who noted her naturalistic screen presence. The film earned widespread praise and an Academy Award nomination (for Best Original Screenplay), and Anthony found herself positioned for a major Hollywood breakthrough. However, fate intervened in the cruelest way possible: at precisely the moment the film was released, the Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn scandal erupted, dominating headlines and overshadowing the film’s reception. As one observer poignantly put it, what might have been an Oscar campaign became guilt by association for the entire cast.
A Prolific Career Across Television and Stage
Despite the disappointment of the Hollywood moment that almost was, Anthony never stopped working. Her television career in Britain was both extensive and varied, demonstrating a range that few of her contemporaries could match. She starred in the BBC sitcom Three Up, Two Down for four years, played the glamorous Angelique Bouchard in NBC’s prime-time revival of Dark Shadows (1991), and went on to guest star in beloved British institutions including Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Jonathan Creek, The Bill, Midsomer Murders, Casualty, and Holby City. She also appeared in the ITV soap Night & Day, Murder in Suburbia, and the Campion series. On the silver screen, she appeared in Mel Brooks’ comedy Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) alongside Leslie Nielsen, and in the thriller Tale of the Mummy (1998). Her output across three decades was genuinely remarkable in its breadth.
Stage Work and West End Credentials
Alongside her screen career, Anthony maintained a serious commitment to theatre that often went underreported. She appeared at the Trafalgar Studios in the West End as Arabella Lucretia in The New Statesman alongside the late Rik Mayall — a production that earned strong reviews. She also performed in Noël Coward’s Present Laughter with Simon Callow, and in Terry Johnson’s Dead Funny at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Other stage credits include The Vagina Monologues, 84 Charing Cross Road, Lady Windermere’s Fan, and Hay Fever — again by Noël Coward — directed by Greg Hersov at the Royal Exchange in Manchester. She also played Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis in a West End transfer of Jackie at the Queen’s Theatre. This theatrical body of work reveals an artist who takes craft seriously, not merely an actress chasing screen celebrity.
Hollyoaks — A Six-Year Legacy as Marnie Nightingale
In February 2016, Anthony joined the cast of Channel 4’s long-running soap opera Hollyoaks as Marnie Nightingale, a glamorous and complex character who brought considerable depth to the show’s ensemble. Her arrival was warmly received by audiences and critics alike, and her character quickly became a fan favourite. Marnie’s storylines spanned love affairs, family drama, and personal crises — all of which Anthony handled with the finesse of a seasoned screen veteran. She remained with the show for nearly six years, a considerable commitment for an established actress of her standing. During this entire period, she carried with her a secret that almost no one on set knew: she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease on the very same week she auditioned for the role in 2016.
The End of Marnie — and a Shocking Departure
Marnie Nightingale’s exit from Hollyoaks came in January 2022, when the character died from a brain injury sustained in an explosion. The exit was dramatic and memorable, befitting a character who had been central to the show for half a decade. However, the circumstances surrounding Anthony’s departure were far more complicated than a simple creative decision. After leaving, she publicly expressed frustration on social media, writing that she had “endured 18 months of humiliation, of Hell” and that she had been “gagged, silenced, suspended, fined.” She later pursued an employment tribunal claim against production company Lime Pictures, alleging disability discrimination related to her Parkinson’s and race discrimination. The tribunal was ultimately dismissed in 2024 after she failed to provide requested details, but the episode highlighted the broader challenges actors with chronic health conditions can face in the television industry.
The Parkinson’s Diagnosis — A Secret Carried in Silence
One of the most extraordinary revelations of Anthony’s public life came in March 2022, when she disclosed to OK! magazine that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 52 — on the very week she joined Hollyoaks. For nearly six years, she had kept this information almost entirely private, sharing it with only one co-star, Gregory Finnegan, who plays James Nightingale. She had first become suspicious something was wrong when she noticed her hands shaking while trying to light a cigarette on stage. She heard Sir Billy Connolly speaking about his own Parkinson’s diagnosis on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs and immediately recognised the symptoms he described as her own. She decided to break her silence, she explained, because her symptoms had worsened and she wanted to contribute to the search for a cure.
Courage, Advocacy, and Living With Parky
Rather than retreating into silence or self-pity, Anthony chose a path of openness and advocacy after going public with her diagnosis. She has affectionately nicknamed her condition “Parky,” and speaks about it with a matter-of-fact candour that has earned widespread admiration. She has drawn inspiration from high-profile figures such as Billy Connolly and Michael J. Fox, both of whom have turned their own diagnoses into platforms for public awareness. Anthony has used her own platform similarly, becoming an advocate for Parkinson’s research and awareness in the United Kingdom. Parkinson’s affects around 145,000 people in the UK alone and is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world. Her openness has helped reduce the stigma around the condition and encouraged others living with it to speak up without shame.
Speaking Out Against Harvey Weinstein
In October 2017, the same week that Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences amid a wave of sexual misconduct allegations, Lysette Anthony stepped forward in The Sunday Times and alleged that Weinstein had raped her in her London home in the late 1980s. She stated that she had been too frightened to speak about the incident for nearly three decades, and that the courage of other women coming forward gave her the strength to do the same. Her testimony was part of a historic wave of allegations that helped trigger the global #MeToo movement, contributing to Weinstein’s eventual criminal conviction in the United States. Anthony’s decision to speak out publicly, despite the personal cost, was widely acknowledged as an act of considerable bravery that likely helped others find their voice.
Personal Life — Marriages, Motherhood, and Resilience
Anthony’s personal life has been as eventful as her professional one. She married Dutch artist and entrepreneur Luc Leestemaker in 1990, but the marriage ended in 1995. She subsequently married American film director David Price, whom she had met on the set of Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde, but that marriage also ended after approximately two years. From 2004 to 2010, she was in a relationship with composer Simon Boswell, with whom she has a son. In 2008, her son was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, prompting Anthony to begin fundraising for rheumatism research — another example of her instinct to transform personal pain into productive advocacy. She was also in a relationship with actor Marcus Gilbert from 2023, though he passed away in January 2026. Despite the accumulated challenges of her personal life, Anthony has consistently demonstrated a resilience and warmth that those around her consistently admire.
The Legacy of a True British Screen Legend
Lysette Anthony’s story is ultimately one of remarkable perseverance. She arrived on the scene as a teenage face gracing magazine covers, transitioned into a serious screen career through discipline and investment in her craft, navigated the highs of Hollywood and the heartbreak of near-misses, spent six years as a beloved soap opera staple, and then emerged with extraordinary courage to speak publicly about personal trauma and chronic illness. Her career spans over 60 screen credits, multiple West End appearances, audio dramas, and charity work across two major health causes. She is a woman who has turned every obstacle — a difficult childhood, Hollywood disappointments, health challenges, personal trauma — into fuel for continued growth. For British television history, for Parkinson’s advocacy, and for #MeToo, Lysette Anthony’s contribution is both unique and lasting.
Conclusion
Lysette Anthony is far more than a celebrated actress or a beautiful face from the 1980s. She is a testament to what it means to persist with dignity, talent, and authenticity across a lifetime in the entertainment industry. From David Bailey’s lens to Woody Allen’s set, from the cobblestones of Hollyoaks to the stage of the West End, and from the pages of a devastating personal disclosure to the front lines of health advocacy — her journey is nothing short of extraordinary. She may not have received every award her talent deserved, but she has earned something rarer: the genuine, lasting respect of those who know what real courage looks like.
FAQs About Lysette Anthony
Q1. What is Lysette Anthony best known for?
She is best known for playing Princess Lyssa in Krull (1983), appearing in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives (1992), and playing Marnie Nightingale in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks from 2016 to 2022.
Q2. Does Lysette Anthony have Parkinson’s disease?
Yes. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 52, in 2016, and publicly disclosed this in March 2022 through an interview with OK! magazine.
Q3. What did Lysette Anthony say about Harvey Weinstein?
In October 2017, she alleged in The Sunday Times that Harvey Weinstein had raped her in her London home in the late 1980s, becoming one of many women to speak out as part of the broader #MeToo movement.
Q4. Who are Lysette Anthony’s parents?
Her parents are Michael Adam Anthony, an actor from Jersey, and Bernadette Milnes, an actress. Both parents came from performing backgrounds, though they later divorced.
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 (approximately 1995–1997).
Q6. Does Lysette Anthony have children?
Yes, she has one son, born during her relationship with composer Simon Boswell (2004–2010). Her son was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis in 2008, prompting Anthony to support rheumatism research.
Q7. Is Lysette Anthony still acting?
Yes. After Hollyoaks, she appeared in seven episodes of BBC’s Doctors before that series ended in late 2023. She continues to work on new projects, including the Book of Nightmares, which was in post-production as of 2024.
Fore more info: Usasparktime.co.uk
