Mona Hammond, EastEnders Star, Dies at 91

Mona Hammond, longtime star of British soap opera EastEnders, has died at the age of 91. The cause of death has not been announced.

Hammond is best known for playing matriarch Blossom Jackson in EastEnders. From 1986 to 2010, she appeared in nearly 200 episodes.

The actor was born Mavis Chin, of Chinese and Jamaican heritage, but changed her name to Mona Hammond to avoid typecasting.

Over her decades-long career, Hammond also appeared in the sitcom Desmond's and soap operas Coronation Street, Holby City, and Doctors. More recently, she appeared opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Joel Edgerton in the 2005 Kinky Boots film, and played Rita-Anne in David Tenant's Doctor Who in 2006.

In addition to her on-screen roles, Hammond acted on the West End and co-founded the Black British theater company Talawa with Yvonne Brewster, Carmen Munroe, and Inigo Espejel in 1986. Talawa will host a tribute celebrating Hammond in September.

Hammond is survived by a son and a granddaughter.

Deena ElGenaidi's writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @deenaelg.