Patricia Hodge is a versatile and familiar face in British television comedy and drama. Her credits extend from the situation comedy Holding the Fort to supporting roles in long-running drama serials, such as Rumpole of the Bailey, and leading parts in specials and miniseries like The Life and Loves of a She-Devil. Hodge's abilities as an actress were evident even before she completed her training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where she won the Eveline Evans Award for Best Actress. Prior to establishing herself in television and film, she gathered valuable stage experience, appearing in major productions of plays as varied as Rookery Nook, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Hair, and Look Back in Anger. With her vivacious good looks, half-closed eyes, and distinctive sharp-lined mouth, she proved herself equally adept at playing sultry temptresses and outraged harpies with a cruel streak, among other contrasting roles. The one factor common to the majority of her characters has been their patently aristocratic birth.

As a television performer, Hodge was warmly received as well-spoken barrister Phyllida Trant in support of a rascally Leo McKem in Rumpole of the Bailey, a role in which she reappeared many times. Her first starring parts came in the situation comedies The Other 'Arf. in which she was Member of Parliament John Standing's snobbish, spumed partner Sybilla Howarth, and Holding the Fort, a somewhat lackluster series in which she was paired with Peter Davison as a newly married young mother experimenting with role reversal, going back to work while her restless husband stayed at home to do the chores.

By now established as a player of ladies of distinctly elevated backgrounds, Hodge was an obvious choice for Lady Antonia Fraser's aristocratic amateur sleuth Jemima Shore in Jemima Shore Investigates, sniffing out crimes among the nobility. Hodge's playing was widely recognized as the best feature of an otherwise very ordinary effort, which, despite her contribution, was fated to be only short-lived. Also wealthy and well-connected was her character in Fay Weldon's far more successful The Life and Loves of a She-Devil: the arrogant and man-stealing best-selling novelist Mary Fisher finally brought low by the vengeful Ruth Patch­ett (played by Julie T. Wallace). Also worthy of note have been her performances as Julia Merrygrove in Rich Tea and Sympathy and guest appearances in shows ranging from Softly, Softly, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and Inspector Morse, to Victoria Wood: Staying In and The Full Wax, in which she showed a refreshing readiness to allow herself to be made the target of jokes.