Call the Midwife legend Judy Parfitt reveals the show’s upcoming hiatus “shakes” her a bit: “It’ll be hard for all of us”

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Judy Parfitt seems thoughtful, which is understandable. We met on the set of Call the Midwife in Surrey – a large, outdoor location blanketed in winter – where she and the team were filming what will be the last episode for now, before production takes a break.

The show isn’t ending – everyone is clear about that. It’s simply taking a break to allow for the creation of a prequel series set during World War II, and a spin-off movie taking place overseas in 1972. While the BBC says the show will remain important for years to come, the length of this break is uncertain, and it does mark the end of an era for Call the Midwife.

Parfitt describes the end of each filming season as a moment of relief, admitting she’s usually exhausted by this point. After fifteen years of playing Sister Monica Joan, she says she starts looking forward to the next season around March, and especially enjoys April. The cancellation of filming this year has been particularly upsetting. She emphasizes the strong bond between the cast and crew, describing them as a family and acknowledging that this situation will be difficult for everyone involved.

Last November, Parfitt celebrated her 90th birthday, and she’s admitted recent filming has been difficult. This is due to a combination of factors – the unusual conditions, the demands of the plot, and her own dedication to her craft.

She says she fully becomes the characters she plays. She can’t perform any other way – she can’t step back and observe herself from the outside. These roles require her to deeply connect with scenes she can’t simply walk away from, and it’s sometimes been incredibly difficult. While a strong imagination is a great asset for an actor, she admits it can also be very challenging to live with.

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The actress has always been drawn to the role of Monica Joan, partly because she was educated by nuns and admired the character’s unique personality. She especially enjoyed portraying Monica Joan’s eccentricities and distinctive way of speaking, even though it was challenging to learn. Monica Joan is known for giving advice, but she’s also easily upset and can become flustered. The actress found playing such a complex character incredibly rewarding and admits she’ll miss the role when it’s over.

Heidi Thomas, the creator and writer of Call the Midwife, feels Judy Parfitt, who plays Sister Monica Joan, is a truly remarkable actress. Thomas knew from reading the original Call the Midwife memoirs that the character would be central to the show, noting Sister Monica Joan’s beautiful and insightful use of scripture and poetry, suggesting a deep and inherent love of language.

After Judy was chosen for the role, her incredible voice and talent for delivering poetry became really useful. I loved writing dialogue for her – she’s truly one of the best and most accurate actresses of the last hundred years. I’ve never met an actress who delivered my lines exactly as I envisioned them, except when she improved upon them!

Judy Parfitt, who was born in Sheffield, always dreamed of being an actress, though she’s not sure where the desire came from. Her mother frequently took her to the theatre and movies, which she adored. When Judy was ten years old, she met Margaret Lockwood, a hugely popular film star at the time, and declared her ambition to be an actress. Lockwood advised her to work on her voice and gave her a signed 8×12 photograph that Judy still treasures.

Years later, Parfitt ran into Lockwood at a hair salon in Mayfair and gently reminded her of how they’d first met. Parfitt recalls with sadness that Lockwood had likely forgotten much of it by then, though Parfitt herself remains incredibly sharp and remembers everything vividly.

At the start of the new century, Parfitt took on more diverse roles, including playing the mother of Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the TV show ER from 2000 to 2002. In 2005, she starred as the unsettling character Mercy Woolf in the BBC3 black comedy, Funland, created by Jeremy Dyson and Simon Ashdown. Funland hasn’t been shown on television again, likely due to Mercy Woolf’s extremely crude language.

I was really excited talking about Funland, and Parfitt seemed surprised and pleased I remembered it. She describes the character as awful, but in a way she loved playing her. She explained that while discussing the role, she’d been told she wouldn’t be able to have the character say certain things, but she did anyway. Parfitt says the character expressed opinions and thoughts she herself would never voice.

Parfitt modestly downplays her extensive career, simply saying she’s had the chance to play compelling characters and collaborate with incredibly talented individuals. She fondly recalls working with Peter O’Toole on three separate projects.

You know, as Heidi Thomas put it, Judy Garland had this incredible youthful energy – she could be so playful you’d forget how much she’d lived! I heard a story about her playfully hiking up her skirt on set and doing a little can-can – apparently, she had amazing legs! But then she’d casually drop stories about working with John Gielgud – during a really difficult time for him – or being on set the day JFK was shot. It really hits you that this woman had seen everything. She truly was one of the greats, and I’m so grateful she took on the role. It’s just… humbling to think about everything she experienced.

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Sitting in the Nonnatus House living room, warmed by the electric fire and surrounded by the brightly patterned, period-correct carpet, Parfitt admits she’ll miss certain parts of playing Monica Joan more than others. The costume, she says with a dramatic sigh, is particularly challenging. “It messes up your hair and makes it hard to hear,” she explains. “It’s a cap with a brim, plus a double-stitched wimple that really presses against your head.”

After a long conversation covering everything from her dog and the frustrations of young people, to widespread anger, political distrust, and even the dating show Naked Attraction, I turned to Parfitt and asked what wisdom she’d gained with age.

“I didn’t have a lot of confidence when I was younger, I didn’t think I was sexy, I didn’t think

Authors

Gareth McLean

Gareth McLean is a seasoned television writer with almost three decades of experience. He’s reviewed countless programs as a critic and interviewed hundreds of prominent figures, including Liza Minnelli and Jimmy Savile, as a feature writer. He’s also worked as a writer on television shows.

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2026-01-05 21:12