Barbara Shelley facts for kids

Barbara Shelley (born Barbara Teresa Kowin; 13 February 1932 – 3 January 2021) was an English actress. She was famous for her roles in many horror films. She appeared in over 100 films and television shows during her career. Some of her most well-known horror movies include Village of the Damned, Dracula, Prince of Darkness, Rasputin, the Mad Monk, and Quatermass and the Pit.

About Barbara Shelley

Barbara Shelley was born in London, England, on 13 February 1932. Her parents were May and Robert Kowin. She had an older sister named Jo. Jo later moved to Canada and became a writer and producer for television.

Barbara went to a school in north London. There, she enjoyed performing in school plays and musicals. At first, she was shy on stage. Her acting teacher suggested she try modelling to become more confident. Barbara followed this advice and started modelling in 1951.

This led to her first small acting job in a film called Mantrap in 1953. For this film, she used her birth name, Barbara Kowin. Later that year, she went on holiday to Rome, Italy. She met an Italian actor who thought she was very talented. He suggested she change her last name to Shelley, after his favourite poet. Barbara ended up living in Rome for four years and acted in nine Italian films. She even learned to speak Italian!

Queen of Horror Films

Barbara Shelley in Rasputin the Mad Monk

Barbara Shelley returned to the UK in 1957. She soon started acting in films for a company called Hammer Film Productions. Hammer was famous for making horror movies. Barbara appeared in many of their popular films. These included The Gorgon (1964), Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966), Rasputin, the Mad Monk (1966), and Quatermass and the Pit (1967). Because of her many roles in these scary movies, she became known as the "Queen of Hammer."

People praised Barbara's acting in these films. They said she brought a sensible and serious quality to even the most unbelievable stories. In Dracula, Prince of Darkness, she played a good woman who turns into a vampire. This scene was very memorable for viewers. She also gave a touching performance in Village of the Damned, playing a mother of alien children. In Quatermass and the Pit, she played a scientist who is controlled by an alien spaceship.

Barbara was sometimes called a "scream queen" because of her roles in horror films. However, her most famous scream in Dracula was actually voiced by another actress! In 2010, the writer Mark Gatiss interviewed Barbara about her career for a TV show about horror films. Her last acting role was in a TV mini-series called Uncle Silas in 1989.

TV Shows and Stage Plays

Barbara Shelley also had many roles on television. She appeared in popular shows like Danger Man (1960), The Saint (1962), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1965), and The Avengers (1961, 1967).

She was also in the BBC TV show Pride and Prejudice (1980) as Mrs. Gardiner. Later, she appeared in Blake's 7 (1981), Bergerac (1983), and the science fiction show Doctor Who (1984). Her final TV role was in the soap opera EastEnders in 1988.

From 1975 to 1977, Barbara also performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, a very famous theatre group. She retired from acting in 1988.

Her Later Years

Barbara Shelley went to the hospital for a check-up in December 2020. While there, she caught COVID-19. She recovered from COVID-19, but she had other health problems. Barbara Shelley passed away on 3 January 2021, at the age of 88.

Selected Films and TV Shows

Films

Television Series

• The Saint (1962)
• The Spy Killer (1969)
• The Borgias (1981)
• Maigret (1988)

See also

In Spanish: Barbara Shelley para niños