Lysette Anthony Bio
Lysette Anne Chodzko, known professionally as Lysette Anthony, is an English actress and former model whose career spans film, television and stage. Born on 26 September 1963 in Fulham, London, England, she rose to public prominence in the 1980s and 1990s with roles in both mainstream and genre productions and has maintained an active screen and stage presence since 1980.
Early Life and Background
Lysette Anne Chodzko was born in Fulham, London, the only child of Michael Adam Anthony and Bernadette Milnes. Her father, Michael Adam Anthony (né Chodzko), worked as an actor and her mother, Bernadette Milnes, was also involved in acting. Her paternal family background includes French and Polish roots through her grandfather.
Anthony made her first stage appearance at the Cambridge Theatre at age ten and joined the National Youth Theatre at fourteen, establishing an early foundation in performance. She began modelling in her teens and was recognized by photographer David Bailey as a leading commercial face in the early 1980s, which helped launch her transition into screen acting by age twenty.
Path to Celebrity
Anthony’s early modelling success opened opportunities in music videos and television during the 1980s, and she featured in several high-profile music videos that increased her visibility to wider audiences. Her appearances in Bryan Adams videos from the Reckless era and a Depeche Mode clip contributed to a growing public profile across the UK and internationally.
Her formal early training and stage work supported a versatile approach to roles, allowing Anthony to move between dramatic work, comedy and genre films. Regular television work in the 1980s, combined with stage credits in West End and regional theatre, positioned her as a reliable character actress with crossover appeal from modelling into mainstream acting.
Lysette Anthony Career
Early Career (1980–1984)
Anthony’s professional activity began in 1980 and quickly included both screen and stage work. She appeared in television productions and small-screen adaptations while continuing stage performances that showcased a range of comedic and dramatic skills. Early television roles included a part in the ITV series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet during its first series and a portrayal of Lady Rowena in the 1982 adaptation of Ivanhoe.
Her film and high-profile genre work in this period included the fantasy epic Krull (1983), in which she played Princess Lyssa. The combination of screen visibility and continued modelling assignments established Anthony as a recognizable figure in British entertainment by the mid-1980s.
Breakthrough (1983–1992)
Anthony’s role as Princess Lyssa in Krull marked an early career landmark and helped her gain further film and television work. She followed that with regular television work in the sitcom and drama arenas, becoming a familiar face on British television. In 1983 she appeared in the comedy-drama Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and in the mid-1980s she took a regular role in the BBC sitcom Three Up, Two Down (1985–1989), which ran for multiple series and contributed significantly to her public recognition.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s Anthony expanded into international film, notably appearing in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives (1992). That period also included continued stage work in the West End and regional houses, with roles such as Arabella Lucretia in the stage adaptation of The New Statesman and performances in Noël Coward’s Present Laughter opposite Simon Callow, demonstrating a sustained parallel career on stage.
Notable Works and Milestones
Signature screen credits include Krull (1983) and Husbands and Wives (1992), while television milestones include her recurring role in Three Up, Two Down and later her long-running part as Marnie Nightingale in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks from 2016 to 2022. Anthony’s presence in popular 1980s music videos for Bryan Adams and Depeche Mode also represents a notable cultural footprint from that decade.
Beyond screen acting, Anthony has continued stage work and has recorded performances for audio drama, including a Doctor Who audio adventure in 2008 and roles in Dark Shadows audio productions, which attest to a varied and durable career across media.
Lysette Anthony Family
Anthony is the daughter of Michael Adam Anthony and Bernadette Milnes. Public records and interviews indicate she is the only child of the family. She has one son, whom she had with composer Simon Boswell; her son was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis in 2008, and Anthony has been involved in fundraising for related research and support.
Personal Life
Anthony’s relationships and marriages have been part of her public biography. She married Dutch artist Luc Leestemaker in 1990; the marriage ended in 1995. She later married American film director David Price; that marriage also ended in divorce. From 2004 to 2010 she was in a relationship with composer Simon Boswell, with whom she has a son. More recently she had a relationship with actor Marcus Gilbert beginning in 2023; Marcus Gilbert died in January 2026.
Anthony has spoken publicly about personal and health matters. In October 2017 she alleged that she was raped in the late 1980s by Harvey Weinstein, and she disclosed in 2022 that she received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease on the day she auditioned for Hollyoaks. Her long-running role as Marnie Nightingale on Hollyoaks ran from February 2016 until the character’s on-screen death in January 2022.
Across decades of work, Lysette Anthony has combined screen, stage and audio projects with public advocacy related to her family’s health challenges and has remained an active figure in British entertainment since the start of her professional career in 1980.