Terrahawks voice actress Denise Bryer dies aged 93

Denise Bryer, seen here with Nicholas Parsons, has died (Picture: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Actress Denise Bryer, best known for her voice work on Terrahawksand Labyrinth, has died aged 93.

The actress died ‘peacefully at her home’ on Saturday, October 16. 

Jamie Anderson, the son of late Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson, confirmed the news, tweeting: ‘I’m so very sad to share the news that the glorious Denise Bryer has died aged 93. She was absolutely amazing, so kind and my surrogate grandmother. I’m heartbroken that she’s gone. But I feel very lucky to have known her.’

Anderson had worked with Bryer on Terrahawks, The Adventures of Twizzle and Four Feather Falls.

Bryer began working as a voice actress at the age of nine, going on to train at RADA before becoming a regular voice on British radio in the 1940s.

This was followed by television work, with Bryer voicing the title character in The Adventures of Noddy, as well as voicing Noddy for a Kellogg’s Ricicles ad. 

In 1957, she was cast as the voice of Footso the Cat in the children’s puppet series The Sdentures of Twizzle, and Anderson and Arthur Provis later cast her as Ma Jones, Little Jake, and Makooyaon the puppet Western Four Feather Falls.

In 1983, Bryer landed her best known role, voicing the evil Queen Zelda of guk in Terrahawks, as well as Captain Mary Falconer and It-Star.

In film, she provided the voices for the Junk Lady in the David Bowie classic Labyrinth, Billina the hen in Return to Oz, and Circe in Hercules.

Doctor Who fans may also recognise Bryer for voicing Dominique Van Gyseghem in the Big Finish audio drama The Reaping and The Gathering.

Big Finish paid tribute on Twitter, writing: ‘We are very sorry to hear about the sad passing of Denise Bryer who we had the privilege of working with on Terrahawks and #DoctorWho: The Reaping. RIP.’

Bryer married to her Four Feathers Fall castmate Nicholas Parsons in 1954, and they shared two children together, Justin and Suzy.

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After 35 years of marriage, the pair divorced in 1989, but remained on good terms.

Just A Minute host Parsons died in January 2020 aged 96. 

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