Anita Dobson reveals secret to staying young
Anita Dobson believes that her passion for acting enables her to "stay young" at the age of 75.
Anita Dobson says acting makes her "stay young".
The 75-year-old star - who recently reprised her role as Angie Watts in 'EastEnders' for the BBC soap's 40th anniversary - lives and breathes acting and says her passion for the profession invigorates her.
She told Women's Weekly magazine: "Acting is what I want to do.
"Acting's been my life for practically all my life.
"If I'm not doing it, I'm talking about it, watching it or reading about it.
"It's my big passion. And once you're excited and passionate about your work, that's what makes you stay young."
Unlike her legendary Queen guitarist husband Sir Brian May - who has a PhD in astrophysics to his name, as well as being an author and animal rights campaigner - she does not have any other interests outside of acting.
The 'Doctor Who' actress - who has been married to the iconic rocker for 25 years - revealed: "Brian has lots of passions, and he's extremely talented at all of them.
"I'm not that kind of animal. I'm not a genius, but I'm smart, I'm streetwise."
Anita did not get her big break until she was 35 when she was cast to play the soap's original Queen Victoria pub landlady in 1985.
And she thinks if it was not for being in 'EastEnders', she would not have met the love of her life at a film premiere before attending a Queen concert.
Anita - who played Angie for three years and credits the role for her stardom - said of Brian: "It was such a big, momentous moment in my career.
"It changed my whole career and my life.
"And I wouldn't have met Brian if I hadn't played her."
The acting icon always refused to return to Walford - the fictional setting for the show - and bosses eventually killed Angie off in 2002.
However, she reprised her role in ghost form for the soap's 40th anniversary in February, and she said it was "a real joy" to work with Letitia Dean, who plays her daughter Sharon Watts in the show, again.
Anita - who donned Angie's original black suit for the scene where Sharon was trapped in the wreckage of the Queen Vic - said: "When they first asked, I thought, 'No', and then they said, 'Letitia would love it if you'd come on board.'
"It was lovely embracing Angie again.
"I had the original suit that I wore on the very first episode, and they got a brilliant wig for me.
"It was a real joy, and it was fab working with Tish again."
