Ann Mitchell (born 22 April 1939) is a British stage and television actress. She came to prominence in the 1980s when she starred as Dolly Rawlins in the crime series Widows as well as the sequels Widows 2 and She's Out, all written by Lynda La Plante. In 2011, she was cast as Cora Cross in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, the mother of Tanya Branning and Rainie Cross. Mitchell has appeared in many roles in film, theatre, and television and has played a significant number of major roles such as Mr ...