Eileen Atkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Eileen Atkins DBE
Atkins in 2023
Born	Eileen June Atkins (1934-06-15) 15 June 1934 (age 91) Clapton, London, England
Education	Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1953–present
Spouse(s)	Julian Glover ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1966)​ Bill Shepherd ​ ​ (m. 1978; died 2016)​

Dame Eileen June Atkins (born 15 June 1934) is a famous English actress. She has been acting in plays, movies, and TV shows since 1953. In 2008, she won important awards like a BAFTA TV Award and an Emmy Award for her role in the TV series Cranford.

She has also won three Olivier Awards, which are major theatre awards in the UK. She was honored by the Queen, becoming a 'Dame' in 2001. This is a special title given to people who have achieved a lot.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Eileen Atkins was born in Lower Clapton, East London, on June 15, 1934. Her mother, Annie Ellen, was a barmaid. Her father, Arthur Thomas Atkins, read gas meters. Eileen was the youngest of three children.

When Eileen was three, a woman told her mother that Eileen would become a famous dancer. Her mother quickly enrolled her in dance classes. Eileen didn't like dancing much, but she studied it from age 3 to 15. From age 7 to 15, during World War II, she performed as "Baby Eileen" in clubs. She even sang for American soldiers in London.

Discovering Her Voice

When Eileen was young, she had a Cockney accent. Her mother was worried, but speech lessons were too expensive. Luckily, a kind woman paid for Eileen to go to Parkside Preparatory School. Eileen credits her principal, Miss Dorothy Margaret Hall, for guiding her.

Later, at The Latymer School, a teacher named Ernest J. Burton helped her. He taught her to speak without her Cockney accent for free. He also introduced her to the plays of William Shakespeare. She studied with him for two years.

Dreaming of Drama School

When Eileen was around 14 or 15, she saw a play called King John. She wrote to the director, Robert Atkins, saying she could act better than one of the child actors. He invited her to meet him. Robert Atkins told her to go to drama school and come back when she was older.

Eileen's teacher, Mr. Burton, helped her try for a scholarship to a drama school. She almost got into RADA, a very famous drama school. Instead, she went to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She studied there for three years, graduating in 1953.

A Career on Stage

Eileen Atkins started her professional acting career in 1952. Her first role in London was in 1953. She played Jaquenetta in Love's Labour's Lost at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. This was the same theatre where she had first met Robert Atkins years before.

It took her about nine years to find steady acting work. But once she did, her career took off.

Playing Virginia Woolf

Eileen Atkins has often been inspired by the life and writings of Virginia Woolf, a famous author. She has played Virginia Woolf on stage in two different plays. She also wrote the screenplay for the 1997 movie Mrs Dalloway, which was based on Woolf's novel. She even had a small role in the 2002 movie The Hours, which was also about Virginia Woolf.

Joining Famous Theatre Companies

In 1957, Eileen joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. She also performed with the Old Vic theatre company in 1961–62.

She made her debut on Broadway in New York in 1966. She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play four times during her career. The Tony Awards are very important theatre awards in the United States.

Film and Television Roles

Eileen Atkins has appeared in many films and TV shows.

Creating TV Shows

She helped create two popular TV series with fellow actress Jean Marsh. The first was Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1975). This show was about the lives of a wealthy family and their servants in a large London house. Eileen couldn't act in the show because she was busy with plays, but Jean Marsh played the maid, Rose. They also created The House of Eliott (1991–1994) together.

Notable TV and Film Appearances

Eileen Atkins has been in many well-known productions. Some of her TV roles include Smiley's People (1982) and Oliver Twist (1982).

In 2007, she starred in the BBC drama Cranford with Judi Dench. Her performance earned her a BAFTA Award and an Emmy Award in 2008.

From 2011 to 2022, she played Ruth Ellingham, the main character's aunt, in the popular ITV comedy-drama series Doc Martin.

She has also played Queen Mary, the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, twice. First in the 2002 TV film Bertie and Elizabeth, and again in the 2016 Netflix series The Crown.

Recent Work

In 2018, Eileen Atkins was in a documentary called Nothing Like a Dame. It showed conversations between her and other famous actresses like Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Joan Plowright. The film was praised for being very funny and enjoyable.

Her film appearances include The Dresser (1983), Gosford Park (2001), Cold Mountain (2003), Robin Hood (2010), and Magic in the Moonlight (2014).

Personal Life and Achievements

Eileen Atkins was married to actor Julian Glover from 1957 to 1966. She later married Bill Shepherd in 1978. They were together until he passed away in 2016.

In 1995, she was treated for breast cancer and has since recovered. During the COVID-19 lockdown, when she was 87, Eileen Atkins wrote her autobiography called Will She Do?.

Honors and Awards

Eileen Atkins has received many honors for her contributions to drama.

• In 1990, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
• In 2001, she was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This is why she is called "Dame Eileen Atkins."
• She has also received honorary degrees from Oxford University and City University London.
• In 1998, she was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre Performances

See also

In Spanish: Eileen Atkins para niños