Billie Whitelaw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Billie Whitelaw
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Whitelaw in c. 1960s
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| Born |
Billie Honor Whitelaw
6 June 1932 Coventry, Warwickshire, England
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| Died | 21 December 2014 (aged 82) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1950–2007 |
| Spouse(s) |
Robert Muller
(m. 1983; died 1998) |
| Children | 1 |
Billie Honor Whitelaw CBE (born June 6, 1932 – died December 21, 2014) was a famous English actress. She was well-known for working closely with the Irish writer Samuel Beckett for 25 years. Many people thought she was the best at performing his plays.
Billie Whitelaw also became famous for playing Mrs. Baylock. This was the scary nanny in the 1976 horror movie The Omen. She had a long career in both films and television.
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Early Life and Acting Start
Billie Whitelaw was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, England. Her parents were Frances Mary and Gerry Whitelaw. She had an older sister named Constance. Billie grew up in Bradford and went to Grange Girls' Grammar School.
When she was 11, Billie started acting on radio shows for children. She played a character called Bunkle. Later, she worked backstage and acted in plays at the Prince's Theatre in Bradford. Her father died when she was nine, and her family faced money problems.
At 16, Billie met director Joan Littlewood at the BBC. Joan invited her to join her Theatre Workshop group. Billie's mother encouraged her to act in different theatre groups. By 1950, she made her first appearance on stage in London.
Film Career Highlights
Billie Whitelaw started her film career in The Sleeping Tiger (1954). She then appeared in movies like Carve Her Name with Pride (1958). In the 1950s and early 1960s, she often played cheerful blondes or secretaries.
Her acting skills grew stronger in the late 1960s. She starred with Albert Finney in Charlie Bubbles (1967). For this role, she won a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actress. She won another BAFTA for her role in Twisted Nerve (1969).
Billie Whitelaw gained international fame for her scary role as Mrs. Baylock. She was the evil guardian of the demon child Damien in The Omen (1976). Her performance was very memorable. She won the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress.
Other notable films include lending her voice to Aughra in The Dark Crystal. She also played Mrs. Hall in Maurice (1987). She was in The Dressmaker (1988) and The Krays (1990). For The Krays, she received another BAFTA nomination. Later, she appeared in Jane Eyre (1996) and Quills (2000). Her last film role was in the comedy Hot Fuzz (2007).
Working with Samuel Beckett
In 1963, Billie Whitelaw met the famous Irish writer Samuel Beckett. They had a very strong working relationship until he died in 1989. Beckett wrote many of his experimental plays just for her. He called Whitelaw "a perfect actress."
Billie Whitelaw became Beckett's main inspiration. He would create and change his plays while she acted out every movement. Sometimes, this made her very tired. She was known as the best person to perform his works. She even gave talks about Beckett's acting methods. She explained that he shaped her acting like "a piece of plaster he was moulding."
They worked together on many Beckett plays. These included Play, Eh Joe, Happy Days, Not I, Footfalls, and Rockaby. These were for both stage and screen. Billie Whitelaw was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her role in Rockaby.
From 1964 to 1966, she was part of Britain's National Theatre Company. In 1965, she took over the role of Desdemona in Othello. She acted opposite Laurence Olivier.
Television Appearances
Billie Whitelaw also appeared often on television. She received praise for her TV work. One of her first TV roles was in the BBC police series Dixon of Dock Green (1955). She played Mary Dixon.
She also appeared in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1957). She won a BAFTA award for Best Actress for her performance in The Sextet (1972). She starred in the sitcom Time Out for Peggy (1958–59).
Other TV roles included Wicked Women (1970) and Wessex Tales (1973). She was in A Tale of Two Cities (1980) and Private Schulz (1982). Later roles included A Murder of Quality (1991) and Firm Friends (1992–1994). She also appeared in Merlin (1998).
Personal Life and Later Years
Billie Whitelaw was married twice. Her first marriage was to actor Peter Vaughan from 1952 to 1966. She then married writer Robert Muller in 1983. They had one son. Robert Muller passed away in 1998.
Billie Whitelaw wrote her life story in a book called Billie Whitelaw... Who He?. It was published in 1996. She lived in Hampstead, London, and also had a cottage in Suffolk.
For the last four years of her life, she lived at Denville Hall. This is a retirement home for actors in Northwood, Hillingdon. Billie Whitelaw died there on December 21, 2014. She was 82 years old and passed away after getting pneumonia.
Honours and Awards
Billie Whitelaw received a special honour in 1991. Queen Elizabeth II made her a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is a high award for her achievements.
Images for kids
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Billie Whitelaw in the 1960s
See also
In Spanish: Billie Whitelaw para niños
