Dora May BryanOBE was an English actress of stage, film and television. BornDora May Broadbent, hercareer began inpantomimeas a child actor. InWorld War IIshe joined theENSAinItalyto entertainBritish troops.After having established herself as aversatilestage actress, covering everything from drama and comedy to musicals, she started to appear in film in the late 1940s, and in 1968 she even had her own TV series, "According to Dora". At one point in hercareershe wasBritain's highest-paid star.She was active on stage until the mid 1990s and continued to work in film and television until 2005, when she finally had to give up the acting profession as she could no longerremember her lines.HerautobiographyAccording To Dorawas published in 1987. In 1996, she was awarded anOBEin recognition of her services to acting and the same year she was also awarded theLaurence Olivier Awardfor her role in the West End production of theHarold Pinterplay "The Birthday Party".She was married to British cricket player Bill Lawton from 1954 to his death in 2008. She lived in a nursing home in Hove, outside Brighton, until her death in 2014..