June Brown plays Dot Branning, formerly Dot Cotton, on EastEnders.
June Brown has played the character almost since the beginning of EastEnders in 1985, but she had a four year break from 1993.
According to The Guardian's interview with June Brown, she was "the second of five children, to a wealthy businessman who lost most of his money in the war, and her childhood was scarred by the death of two siblings."
After serving in the Women's Royal Naval Service at the end of the Second World War, June Brown studied at London's Old Vic Theatre School and so launched her acting career.
Before joining EastEnders, June Brown spent years with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
June Brown is president of the Michael Elliott Trust, which gives children with special needs the chance to care for abandoned donkeys.
