
Ashford, Kent, England, UK
Matilda Ziegler is an English actress, best known for her roles as Donna Ludlow in EastEnders, Irma Gobb in Mr. Bean, and Pearl Pratt in Lark Rise to Candleford. Ziegler's first screen role was in her early twenties, during 1987–89; she appeared in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, playing Donna Ludlow, the illegitimate daughter of series regular Kathy Beale. Donna contended with prostitution, an attempted gang rape, heroin addiction and finally suicide (dying of a heroin overdose). The final death scenes of Ziegler's character, who had choked to death on her own vomit, have been hailed as one of the most powerful anti-drug images ever screened on the programme. She left EastEnders in April 1989. In the early 1990s, Ziegler starred in the ITV comedy Mr. Bean, where she played multiple characters, especially a three-episode stint as Irma Gobb, the title character's long-suffering girlfriend. She reprised her role as Gobb, voicing her in Mr. Bean: The Animated Series, from 2002 to 2004, and in the revived series from 2015 to 2019. Other television credits include: Lark Rise to Candleford (2008–2010) in which she played the part of Pearl Pratt, in the BBC adaptation of Flora Thompson's novel; Harbour Lights (1999); Where the Heart Is (2000); Holby City (2003); An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1998); The Bill (2003), and Home, alongside Anthony Sher in an adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel. Ziegler played Ruth, wife of car salesman Toni, in the BBC sitcom Swiss Toni (2003–04). She also appeared in the BAFTA Television Award winning drama, Sex Traffic (2004). In 2005, she played Christine Miller in the fourth series of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and in 2007, she guest starred in the BBC One daytime medical drama Doctors as Jess Butler. She also appeared in Outnumbered, Lewis (in the episode 'The Soul of Genius', 2012), Death in Paradise (2013), and Vera (in the episode "Young Gods", 2013). In 2015, she appeared in an episode of Foyle's War, and in series 4 episode of Call the Midwife. In 2020 she appeared in a second season episode of The Alienist, and appeared in two episodes of The Girlfriend Experience in 2021. Ziegler's film roles include Decadence (1994), Jilting Joe (1998), City Slacker (2012), and The Rhythm Section (2019) where she played Blake Lively's mother.

as Donna Ludlow

as Janice Palmer
2011

as Mary Culvert
2011

as Donna Ludlow
1985

as Nula Snape
1986

as Dulcie Roland
2012

as Mildred Gramby
2013

as Lady Ava Woolf
2002

as Waitress
1990

1984

as Helena Wright
2007

as Dr. Lindbergh
2016

as Olga
2023
as Monica Patrick
2020

as Prim Lady
2022

as Self
2021

as Monica Patrick
2020

as Louisa
2012

as Irma Gobb, Mr. Bean's girlfriend
2006

as Paula Goddard
2003
as Rona
1998

1997

as The Entourage
1994

as Mother
1991

1991

as The Waitress
1991

as Police Woman
1991
as Donna Ludlow
3581 ep.

as Janice Palmer
1 episodes

as Mary Culvert
1 episodes

as Donna Ludlow
3581 episodes

as Nula Snape
1 episodes

as Dulcie Roland
1 episodes

as Mildred Gramby
1 episodes

as Lady Ava Woolf
1 episodes

as Waitress
1 episodes

1 episodes

as Helena Wright
1 episodes

as Dr. Lindbergh
2 episodes

as Olga
1 episodes

as Christine Miller
2 episodes

as Mallory Hunter
1 episodes

as Irma Gobb, Mr. Bean's girlfriend (voice)
169 episodes

as Mary Dawson / Bloody Mary
1 episodes

as Pearl Pratt
40 episodes

as Judge #1
4 episodes

as Beattie Pace
1 episodes

as Lou
2 episodes

as Corinne
1 episodes

as Hilary Hampson
1 episodes
as Sandi
6 episodes

as Jane Ford
9 episodes