Stage and screen star’s shock suicide (From Surrey Comet)

Stage and screen star’s shock suicide

10:34am Friday 5th November 2004

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Kingston-born actress Fritha Goodey died after stabbing herself in the chest with a kitchen knife, an inquest heard.

The actress, 31, who starred in the film About a Boy, was found dead in her Notting Hill flat on September 8.

Westminster Coroner's Court was told last Wednesday how Miss Goodey was found lying in a pool of blood by her father, Glenn Goodey, a former news editor of the Sun.

A spokesman for the Met said: "We attended an incident following reports that a man had discovered his daughter with serious injuries at her home in St Charles Square.

"The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. There was an initial investigation but the death was not treated as suspicious."

The actress, who had battled with anorexia for years, left "farewell notes" at the scene.

A postmortem examination revealed her death was caused by a single stab wound to the chest. Coroner Dr Paul Knapman recorded the verdict that Miss Goodey had killed herself.

Miss Goodey became an actress after completing a theatre studies A-level course at Richmond College. She won a place at the London Academy of Arts, but left when she developed anorexia. However, she later went on to establish a successful stage career, working with some of the great names of British theatre.

In 2002 she debuted with the National Theatre in Harold Pinter's stage version of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. Television work included Roger, Roger (1998), and alongside Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in Randall and Hopkirk Deceased.

She made her mark on the big screen as one of Hugh Grant's girlfriends in an adaptation of Nick Hornby's About a Boy, and also played a significant role in the remake of the Michael Caine classic Alfie, starring Jude Law.

She recently started rehearsing for Terence Rattigan's Man and Boy, opposite David Suchet.

A Richmond Drama School spokesman said: "Fritha Goodey was an exceptionally talented actress.

"Everyone who knew and loved her is devastated by the news. Our thoughts are with her sister Tabitha, who was our movement teacher for many years, and her parents, Sally and Glenn."

hsummers@london.newsquest.co.uk

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