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Diane Cilento
Diane Cilento, 1954.jpg
Cilento in 1954
Born (1932-04-02)2 April 1932
Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia
Died 6 October 2011(2011-10-06) (aged 79)
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Occupation Actress
Years active 1950–2011
Spouse(s)
  • Andrea Volpe
    (m. 1955; div. 1962)
  • (m. 1962; div. 1974)
  • (m. 1985; died 2001)
Children 2, including Jason Connery
Parents
  • Raphael Cilento (father)
  • Phyllis Cilento (mother)
Relatives Margaret Cilento (sister)

Diane Cilento (2 April 1932 – 6 October 2011) was an Australian actress and writer. She is best known for her film roles in Tom Jones (1963), which earned her an Academy Award nomination, Hombre (1967) and The Wicker Man (1973). She also received a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Helen of Troy in the play Tiger at the Gates.

Early life

Cilento was born in Mooloolaba, Queensland, the daughter of Phyllis (née McGlew) and Raphael Cilento, both medical practitioners in Queensland. She was the fifth of six children; four of her siblings became medical practitioners, while her sister Margaret was an artist. Cilento's paternal great-grandfather, Salvatore Cilento, arrived from Naples, Italy, in 1855. Her maternal grandfather was merchant and exporter Charles Thomas McGlew.

It was from a young age that Cilento decided to follow a career as an actress. After being expelled from school in Australia, she was schooled in New York whilst living with her father. Cilento later won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and moved to Britain in the early 1950s.

Career

Diane Cilento with Peter Finch
Cilento with Peter Finch in Passage Home (1955)

After graduation, Cilento found work on stage almost immediately and was signed to a five-year contract by Alexander Korda. Her first leading film role was in the British film Passage Home (1955), opposite fellow Australian Peter Finch.

She soon secured roles in British films and worked steadily until the end of the decade. In 1956, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for Helen of Troy in Jean Giraudoux's Tiger at the Gates. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Tom Jones in 1963 and appeared in The Third Secret the following year.

She starred with Paul Newman in the 1967 western film Hombre, and had a supporting role in The Wicker Man (1973).

Cilento continued working as an actress, in films and television. In the 1980s, she settled in Mossman, north of Cairns, where she built her own outdoor theatre, named "Karnak", in the tropical rainforest. The venture allowed her to participate in experimental drama.

In 2001, she was awarded the Centenary Medal for "distinguished service to the arts, especially theatre".

Personal life

In 1955, Cilento married Andrea Volpe, an Italian aristocrat. She gave birth to their daughter Giovanna Volpe in 1957. Cilento and Volpe divorced in 1962.

In 1962, Cilento married actor Sean Connery. They had a son, Jason (born 1963), before separating in 1971 and divorcing in 1974.

In 1985, Cilento married playwright Anthony Shaffer, whom she met in 1972, while working on the film The Wicker Man. They remained together until his death in 2001.

Death

Cilento died of cancer at Cairns Base Hospital on 6 October 2011.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1951 Captain Horatio Hornblower Maria Hornblower (voice) Uncredited
1952 Wings of Danger Jeannette
1952 Moulin Rouge Midinette Uncredited
1953 All Hallowe'en Harriet Short film
1953 Meet Mr. Lucifer Woman on the street Uncredited
1954 The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp The Angel
1954 The Passing Stranger Jill
1955 Passage Home Ruth Elton
1955 The Woman for Joe Mary
1957 The Admirable Crichton Tweeny
1957 The Truth About Women Ambrosine Viney
1959 Jet Storm Angelica Como
1960 The Full Treatment Denise Colby
1961 The Naked Edge Mrs. Heath
1962 I Thank a Fool Liane Dane
1963 Tom Jones Molly Seagrim Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance (4th place)
1964 The Third Secret Anne Tanner
1964 Rattle of a Simple Man Cyrenne
1965 Once Upon a Tractor Geraldine Short film
1967 Hombre Jessie
1968 Negatives Reingard
1972 Z.P.G. Edna
1973 Hitler: The Last Ten Days Hanna Reitsch
1973 The Wicker Man Miss Rose
1975 The Tiger Lily Charlotte Brain
1982 Duet for Four Margot Mason Feature film, AUSTRALIA
1985 The Boy Who Had Everything Mother Feature film, AUSTRALIA

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1951 A Tomb with a View Amy Heron TV film, UK
1955 The Alcoa Hour Small Servant TV series UK, Episode: "The Small Servant"
1956 The Taming of the Shrew Bianca TV film, UK
1956 Film Fanfare Herself TV series UK, 1 episode
1957 Rich And Rich Herself - Guest TV series UK, 1 episode
1957–1961 ITV Television Playhouse Various roles TV series UK, 2 episodes
1958 Television World Theatre Nina Leeds Evans TV series UK, Episodes: "Strange Interlude: Part 1 & 2"
1959–1964 ITV Play of the Week Various roles TV series UK, 2 episodes
1959 Sunday Night Theatre Anne TV series UK, Episode: "The Concert"
1960 Armchair Theatre Sadie Thompson TV series, 1 Episode: "Rain"
1961 Vanity Fair Becky Sharp TV series U, 1 Episode: "Part 1"
1963 Espionage Lina TV series UK, 1 Episode: "Festival of Pawns"
1964 The 36th Annual Academy Awards Herself - Nominee TV special, US
1964 Festival Lysistrata TV series UK, 1 Episode: "Lysistrata"
1964 Juke Box Jury Herself - Panellist TV series UK, 1 episode
1965 Blackmail Euphrasia Jones TV series UK, 1 Episode: "Cut Yourself a Slice of Throat"
1966 Court Martial TV series UK, Episode: "La Belle France"
1966 The Eamonn Andrews Show Herself TV series UK, 1 episode
1967 Thirty-Minute Theatre Penelope TV series UK, 1 Episode: "Another Moon Called Earth"
1967 Dial M for Murder Margo Wendice TV film, UK
1967 Whicker's World Herself TV series UK, 1 episode
1967 Good Company Herself TV series US, 1 episode
1967 The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson Herself - Guest TV series US, 1 episode
1968 Late Night Horror Lady Sannox TV series US, 1 Episode: "The Kiss of Blood"
1968 The Frankie Howerd Show Herself TV special, UK
1968 Sydney Tonight Herself TV series, 1 episode
1969 ITV Sunday Night Theatre: Rogues' Gallery Lady Sarah Bellasize TV series UK, Regular role, 6 episodes
1970 Morecombe & Wise Herself TV series UK, 1 episode
1971 The Mike Douglas Show Herself TV series US, 1 episode
1971 The David Frost Show Herself TV series UK, 2 episodes
1972 The Persuaders! Kate Sinclair TV series UK, 1 Episode: "A Death in the Family"
1973 Thriller Clara TV series UK, Episode: "Spell of Evil"
1974 The Book Programme Herself TV series UK, 1 episode
1975 Affairs of the Heart Elizabeth Damerel TV series UK, Episode: "Elizabeth"
1975 The 17th Annual TV Week Logie Awards Herself - Presenter TV special
1975 Celebrity Squares Herself TV series, 2 episodes
1978 Cappriccio! Herself ABC TV series, 1 episode
1978 Everyman Herself - Narrator TV series UK, 1 episode
1978 Tycoon Diana Clark TV series UK, Regular role, 13 episodes
1979 Call My Bluff Herself TV series UK, 2 episodes
1979-1984 The Mike Walsh Show Herself TV series, 4 episodes
1980 The British Greats Herself TV series UK, 1 episode
1980 Big Toys Mag ABC TV film
1981 Parkinson In Australia Herself ABC TV series, 1 episode
1981 Diane Cilento: I Love Music Herself - Host TV special
1981 The 1981 Australian Film Awards Herself - Presenter ABC TV special
1982 Diane Cilento Festa Italiana Herself TV special
1983 For The Term Of His Natural Life Lady Elinor Devine TV miniseries, Recurring role, 2 episodes
1983 Willesee: Survival Herself TV special
1985 Fountain Of Youth Herself Film documentary
1985 Out Of Shot Herself - Narrator Film documentary
1986 The 1986 Australian Film Institute Awards Herself - Presenter TV special
1987;1992 Sunday Afternoon Herself ABC TV series, 2 episodes
1988 Queensland Day Royal Expo Concert Herself - Host TV special
1989 Burke's Backyard Herself - Celebrity gardener TV series, 1 episode
1993–1994 Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left Authoritax / Principa TV series, Recurring role, 6 episodes
1994;1995 Good Morning Australia Herself TV series, 1 episode
1994 Ten Eyewitness News Herself TV series, 1 episode
1995;1998 Good Morning Australia Herself TV series, 1 episode
1998 Good Morning Australia Herself TV series, 1 episode
1999 Laws Herself TV series, 1 episode
2003 The Brits Go To Hollywood Herself TV series UK, 1 episode
2004 Australian Story Herself ABC TV series, 1 episode
2006 Enough Rope With Andrew Denton Herself ABC TV series, 1 episode
2006 Mornings With Kerri-Anne Herself TV series, 1 episode
2007 Ken Adam's Production Films: You Only Live Twice Herself Video

Theatre

Year Title Role Location Notes
1955 Tiger at the Gates Helen Helen Hayes Theatre Theatre World Award
Nominated — Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
1959 Heartbreak House Ellie Dunn Billy Rose Theatre
1960 The Good Soup Marie-Paule II Plymouth Theatre

Writings

  • 1967 novel: The Manipulator. Charles Scribner's Sons.
  • 1970 novel: Hybrid. Dell Publishing.
  • 2007 autobiography: My Nine Lives. Penguin Books. ISBN: 9780143006077

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Diane Cilento para niños

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