Mona Hammond

Mona Hammond (1931–2022) was a Jamaican-British actress and co-founder of the Talawa Theatre Company. Born Mavis Chin in Tweedside, Jamaica, she immigrated to the UK in 1959. Hammond had a distinguished stage career and was best known for her work on British television, notably playing Blossom Jackson in EastEnders. She received an OBE in 2005 for her contributions to drama and was honored with the Women of the World Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. Hammond was born to a Chinese father and Afro-Jamaican mother. She moved to the UK on a Jamaican Scholarship and worked as an architect while attending evening classes.