Julie T Wallace , an unknown actress with a few fringe theatre credits to her name, beat off a dozen more experienced rivals to the role of Ruth in director
Philip Saville 's four-part adaptation of Fay Weldon 's novel of marital discord and revenge. Saville was looking for an actress over six feet tall, capable of looking hideous but still sexy, and publicised his search in the press. Wallace replied with a five-page letter "which showed," " says Saville, "an extraordinary understanding of the book".
Havingwon the part, Wallace had to gain a stone and a half, wear false teeth and have full
"ugly" make-up, and she was unforgettable as Ruth, the spurned wife of philandering
Bobbo (Dennis Waterman ), and the show won the Bafta award for best series.
In this first episode Bobbo tells Ruth he has fallen in love with someone else, accusing his wife of being "a she devil. From that moment on, she is endowed with strange powers that help her in the quest for revenge. EinaO'Brien HERSELF Sue Cook........................................... HERSELF
Adapted by Ted Whitehead Producer Sally Head
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