Liz Smith, 'Nana' from The Royle Family, dies at 95

Actor got her big break in a 1971 Mike Leigh play at the age of 49

Actor Liz Smith, who played Nana in BBC sitcom The Royle Family, has died at the age of 95.

Smith passed away on Christmas Eve, a spokeswoman for her family said.

Her death comes just five months after Caroline Aherne, who starred in and co-wrote The Royle Family, died from lung cancer.

In a statement, the family spokeswoman said: “The BAFTA award-winning actress Liz Smith has died, on Christmas Eve, at the age of 95.”

Smith also appeared in The Vicar of Dibley and a recent BBC adaptation of Lark Rise to Candleford.

Originally from Scunthorpe, she served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service in World War II.

Her acting breakthrough came at the age of 49 when she was cast in a 1971 play by Mike Leigh called Bleak Moments.

She later said: “The moment that my life transformed was when I was standing in [toy shop] Hamley’s one Christmas, flogging toys, and I got a message from this young director named Mike Leigh.

“I was nearly 50 at the time, but he wanted a middle-aged woman to do improvisations.

“I went to an audition and I got the job of the mother in this improvised film – Bleak Moments, his first film – and it changed my life.”

She also appeared in the BBC sitcom 2point4 Children and played Mrs Mulch in Wallace and Gromit's The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

In 2009, she was awarded an MBE.

Following news of her death, The Royle Family star Ralf Little tweeted: "Devastating to lose two members of my second family in one awful year. RIP Liz Smith. Goodbye Nana. Xxx"

And actor Andrew Hayden-Smith tweeted: "Liz Smith always reminded me a bit of my lovely Gran. 95 too -- what an age! RIP Nanna Royle."

The Press Association contributed to this report