Yvonne Gladys Wadian is a comic relief character on the series Harpers Falls. She is played on a contractual basis by UK actress Sue Johnston, best known for her roles on Brookside, The Royle Family and her more famous role of ungrateful and troublemaking lady's maid, Gladys Denker on the series, Downton Abbey.
Sue was intrigued to play a real comic relief role on HF, and when she was asked, it was near a certainty to take the role. "As always, when Albert brings in someone," Sue smiles, "he sees the person that he chooses and pictures them in that role. When I came in to audition, we talked about my role of Denker. He found her to be quite funny, especially when she and Spratt fought. He saw me and my experience in comedy, from my years on The Royle Family, as an asset. He even came up with Yvonne's middle name, Gladys, named after my beloved Gladys Denker."
Wonderful and delightful lady's maid[]
Having come from Liverpool, England, Yvonne Wadian was a former domestic who worked for some of the finest families in Merseyside. She got to know Merseyside a lot and enjoyed her life.
She was exacting, but was also very kind (unlike Sue Johnston's role of ingrate Gladys Denker on Downton Abbey).
When her British employers decided that they did not need a lady's maid anymore, Yvonne took a job as a secretary, working for an LGBT organization in Merseyside. She then moved into a flat in Liverpool itself, and she was quite content.
Not long after that, she would find out a job working as a secretary and also as a lady's maid but not in England, but in America. She would get her passport, apply for a work visa and then flew off to Boston.
When she had been asked to get a job in Boston, she jumped at the chance. She still works as a secretary for an LGBT organization in Boston, but she also works as a Lady's maid for Marilyn Harper. She also serves Dylan and Sheila's mother, Michelle Harper as her lady's maid.
As is the case for all the domestic servants for Dylan's family, she lives in his townhome. When she is not working for Michelle as their lady's maid, she is busy at her secretarial job.
She makes a lot of money, and because of her two jobs, she has no time for romance. Now that Wendy is married, and doesn't choose to have a lady's maid, Yvonne spends most of her time working for Michelle.
Marilyn later hired a more part-time lady's maid named Marie Jamison, who doesn't live in the house.
Yvonne also became more and more a part of the family and she also has a great bond with her new superior, Delphine Ridgeway, who recently became a part of the household staff. Yvonne is a great worker, and her work ethic impresses Mrs. Ridgeway.