Angela Pleasence was born in Chapeltown, South Yorkshire. She is the daughter of actor Donald Pleasence and his first wife, Miriam Raymond. The surname for both daughter and father has occasionally been credited as "Pleasance". She remains best known for her performance as Catherine Howard in the 1970 BBC mini-series The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970). Other television credits include: The Barchester Chronicles (1982), Silas Marner (1985) and Midsomer Murders (1997). She is also noted for her roles in horror films of the 1970s, including From Beyond the Grave (1974), Symptoms (1974) and The Godsend (1980). She made a guest appearance in the parody series Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible (2001), satirizing her earlier performances.