Felicity Kendal, 79, has spoken about her determination to embrace life fully, particularly in the wake of losing several friends and co-stars. Her role as Barbara Good in the beloved 1970s sitcom "The Good Life" remains one of her most iconic performances.
Last month marked a somber milestone for Kendal, as she became the last surviving principal cast member of "The Good Life" following the death of Penelope Keith, who was 86 and had been battling cancer. Kendal noted that her social circle has significantly diminished over time, but this loss has also reinforced her appreciation for being alive and her commitment to making the most of her remaining years.
"Your address book gets smaller... completely and utterly... not useless... but much smaller," Kendal shared with Go Explore Radio. She described grief as waves, with the "tsunami" of loss sometimes returning unexpectedly. "When you get more used to it... on a wet day the thing is that you do is give yourself a bit of a nudge and say, 'Now look here, stop whinging about plumbing and about whatever... maybe somebody's been slightly off with you because the sun is shining and guess what? You're here'," she explained.
Kendal reminisced about the close bond shared with her "Good Life" castmates, including Richard Briers and Paul Eddington. "On The Good Life, we were that close, we would go round to each other's house in rotation, having dinner, on the Sundays we had off," she said. "To be honest we were close like a family, like a company that has been together for years because we worked together. We laughed a lot."
The cast's close relationship was tested by the deaths of Eddington in 1995 at age 68 and Briers in 2013 at age 79. "And then Paul died very early, very young, and that was the beginning of it," Kendal recalled. "We didn't go to each other's house regularly any more because there was this gap and I think all three of us went into incredible depression... upset, I don't mean clinical depression.. We were just heartbroken."
Following Briers's passing, Kendal and Keith remained as the "two girls left." Kendal described the current situation, where she is the last of the original quartet, as "a bit of a responsibility," while also acknowledging the passage of time and the acceptance that comes with age.
She paid tribute to Keith, describing her as a "private" person who appreciated recognition and engaged in charity work. Kendal characterized Keith as a "funny, lovely woman and one brilliant cook" who maintained a private life away from social media.
Kendal has no plans to retire, stating that her passion for acting keeps her energized. "There’s a kind of relaxation in doing the work you like doing simply for the work itself. You're judged only on how you do it," she told The Lady Magazine in 2021. She added that the pressure lessens with age, as there are fewer contemporaries still working.
Kendal continues to take on new projects and is currently performing on stage in "High Society" at the Barbican Theatre.
