Biography
Frances Cuka was born in London in 1936 to Joseph and Letitia Cuka. The family later relocated to Hove, where Frances attended Brighton and Hove High School. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and made her stage debut in 1955 in 'Meet Mr. Callaghan' in Warrington. After working with several repertory companies, she joined the Theatre Workshop, performing with them at the Zurich Festival and the Moscow Art Theatre in 1957. In 1958, she portrayed Jo in 'A Taste of Honey' at the Theatre Royal, Stratford, East London, later transferring with the production to the West End, Broadway, and then on an American tour. Her additional West End roles included parts in 'Vanity Fair,' 'Sweet Bird of Youth,' 'Waters of the Moon,' 'The Wild Duck,' and several productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company such as 'Days in Trees,' 'Travesties,' and 'Nicholas Nickelby.' Cuka made her television debut in 1964 in Twelve Good Men from The Hidden Truth series, followed by appearances in shows like Adam Adamant Lives! (1966), The Informer (1966), The Champions (1968), Within These Walls (1974), Crown Court (1972), The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1987), The Bill (1984), Doctors (2000), and Casualty (1986), among others. Her film debut came in the lesser-known comedy Over the Odds (1961), and she did not appear on screen again until 1970, when she played Bob Cratchit's wife in the musical Scrooge. Her most notable film role was as Catherine of Aragon in Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972).
