Dorothy Tutin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Dorothy Tutin DBE
Promotional image of Tutin in 1982
Born	(1930-04-08)8 April 1930 London, England
Died	6 August 2001(2001-08-06) (aged 71) Midhurst, West Sussex, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1949–1999
Spouse(s)	Derek Waring (1963–2001; her death)
Children	2

Dame Dorothy Tutin (born April 8, 1930 – died August 6, 2001) was a famous English actress. She performed on stage, in movies, and on television. She was known as one of the best leading actresses in Britain after World War II.

Dorothy Tutin won many awards for her acting. These included two Olivier Awards and two Evening Standard Awards for Best Actress. She was also given special honours by the Queen. In 1967, she became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Later, in 2000, she was made a Dame (DBE). This is a very high honour for her work.

She started her acting career in 1949. She won her first big award in 1960 for the play Twelfth Night. She also acted on Broadway in New York. There, she was nominated for a Tony Award in 1968. Dorothy Tutin starred in many well-known films. These included The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) and A Tale of Two Cities (1958).

Who Was Dorothy Tutin?

Her Early Life and Training

Dorothy Tutin was born in London, England, on April 8, 1930. Her parents were John Tutin and Adie Evelyn Fryers. She went to St Catherine's School, Bramley in Surrey.

She loved acting and studied at PARADA and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. These are famous schools for actors. Dorothy was also a very good piano player.

Her Family Life

In 1963, Dorothy Tutin married another actor named Derek Waring. They had two children together, Nicholas (born 1966) and Amanda. Both of their children also became actors.

Dorothy and her daughter Amanda even acted together once. They appeared in an episode of the TV show All Creatures Great and Small in 1989. Dorothy Tutin and Derek Waring were married until she passed away. She died in 2001 at age 71 from leukaemia. Derek Waring died later in 2007.

Her Amazing Acting Career

Dorothy Tutin had a long and successful career. She was famous for her roles in theatre, film, and television.

Starting on Stage

Dorothy Tutin first appeared on stage on September 6, 1949. She played Princess Margaret of England in a play called The Thistle and the Rose. This was at the Boltons theatre.

After that, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Company in 1950. She played many different roles there. She also joined the Old Vic company in London. She acted in classic plays like Bartholomew Fair and Henry V.

In 1951 and 1952, she performed at the Lyric Theatre and Phoenix Theatre. She played Hero in John Gielgud's production of Much Ado About Nothing.

Some of her other important early stage roles included:

• Rose Pemberton in The Living Room (1953)
• Sally Bowles in I Am a Camera (1954)
• Joan in The Lark (1955)
• Jean Rice in The Entertainer (1957)

Joining the Royal Shakespeare Company

Dorothy Tutin first joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company in 1958. This company later became the famous Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). She played many lead roles in Shakespeare's plays.

Some of her most famous roles with the RSC were:

• Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (1958, 1961)
• Viola in Twelfth Night (1958, 1960) - She won an Evening Standard Award for this role.
• Ophelia in Hamlet (1958)
• Desdemona in Othello (1961, 1962)
• Varya in The Cherry Orchard (1961, 1962)

Other Famous Stage Roles

Dorothy Tutin continued to perform in many important plays. She was known for her strong performances.

Some other notable roles included:

• Queen Victoria in Portrait of a Queen (1965, 1968) - This role earned her a Tony Award nomination in New York.
• Rosalind in As You Like It (1967)
• Alice in Arden of Faversham (1970)
• Kate in Old Times (1971)
• The title role in Peter Pan (1971, 1972) - A very popular role for children.
• Natalya Petrovna in A Month in the Country (1974, 1975) - She won an Evening Standard Award and an Olivier Award for this.
• Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (1976, 1978)
• Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (1977)
• Lady Plyant in The Double Dealer (1978) - She won another Olivier Award for this role.
• Deborah in A Kind of Alaska (1985)
• Blanche Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986)
• Fonsia Dorsey in The Gin Game (1999) - This was one of her last stage roles.

Films and TV Shows

Dorothy Tutin also had a successful career in films and on television.

She played Cecily in the film The Importance of Being Earnest (1952). For this, she was nominated for a BAFTA award as a promising new actress. She also played Polly Peachum in The Beggar's Opera (1953).

A big film role for her was Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities (1958). She acted alongside Dirk Bogarde in this movie.

On television, she played Anne Boleyn in the BBC series The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970). She also appeared in the film Cromwell (1970) as Queen Henrietta Maria.

Later, she starred as the teacher Sarah Burton in the TV series South Riding (1974). She also played Goneril in a TV version of Shakespeare's King Lear (1983). In this, she acted with the famous Laurence Olivier. She also appeared in the TV movie Murder with Mirrors (1985), based on an Agatha Christie novel.

Awards and Special Honours

Dorothy Tutin received many awards and honours for her amazing acting.

In 1967, The Queen made Dorothy Tutin a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This was a special recognition for her contributions. In 2000, she received an even higher honour. She was made a Dame Commander (DBE), which is why she was known as Dame Dorothy Tutin.

What Films Did She Star In?

Here is a list of some of the films Dorothy Tutin appeared in: