While Kathy Burke seemingly came out of nowhere when she was thrust into the world spotlight upon being named the winner of the Best Actress prize at the 50th Cannes Film Festival, the petite, dark-haired, slightly zaftig actress with the working-class Cockney accent had amassed numerous TV credits in her native England.

Raised in Islington by her widower father and two older brothers, Burke found an escape in acting. While studying at the renowned Anna Scher Theatre School while in her teens, she was spotted by director Mai Zetterling who cast her in "Scrubbers" (1982), Around the same time,