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Frances de la Tour facts for kids

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Frances de la Tour
Frances de la Tour at the British Library.jpg
De la Tour speaking at the British Library in 2019
Born
Frances J. de Lautour

(1944-07-30) 30 July 1944 (age 80)
Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, England
Occupation Actress
Years active 1965–present
Spouse(s)
David Godman
(m. 1968, divorced)
Tom Kempinski
(m. 1972; div. 1982)
Children 2
Relatives Andy de la Tour (brother)

Frances de la Tour (born 30 July 1944) is a famous English actress. She is well-known for playing Miss Ruth Jones in the TV show Rising Damp from 1974 to 1978. Frances de la Tour has won a Tony Award and three Olivier Awards for her acting.

She played Mrs. Lintott in the play The History Boys in London and on Broadway. For this role, she won a Tony Award in 2006. She also acted in the 2006 film version of The History Boys. You might also know her as Madame Olympe Maxime in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). On TV, she has been in shows like Big School and Vicious.

Early Life and Family Background

Frances de la Tour was born on 30 July 1944 in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, England. Her parents were Moyra and Charles de la Tour. Her family name was also spelled De Lautour. She has French, Greek, and Irish family roots. She studied acting at the Drama Centre London.

Frances de la Tour is the sister of actor and writer Andy de la Tour. She was married to playwright Tom Kempinski for a short time. She has two children, a son and a daughter.

In 2015, a TV show called Who Do You Think You Are? showed that Frances de la Tour is related to the old Delaval family.

Frances de la Tour's Acting Career

Theatre Performances

After finishing drama school in 1965, Frances de la Tour joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). For six years, she took on many small roles. She slowly started playing bigger parts, like Helena in Peter Brook's famous play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

In the 1970s, she worked a lot in theatre and on TV. She played Rosalind in As You Like It in 1975. She also played Isabella in The White Devil in 1976. She worked with the Half Moon Theatre in London, appearing in plays like We Can't Pay? We Won't Pay (1978) and playing the main role in Hamlet (1980).

In 1980, she starred as Stephanie in Duet for One. This play was written for her by Tom Kempinski. She won an Olivier Award for Best Actress for this role. She also won another Olivier Award in 1983 for her role as Josie in A Moon for the Misbegotten. She joined the Royal National Theatre in 1984 to play the main role in Saint Joan. She won a third Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1991 for the play When She Danced.

In 2004, she played Mrs. Lintott in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys. She performed this play at the National Theatre and later on Broadway. She won a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award for this role. She also appeared in the movie version of The History Boys. In 2007, she was in a play called Boeing-Boeing. She also appeared in other plays by Alan Bennett, including The Habit of Art (2009) and People (2012).

Film and Television Roles

Frances de la Tour has been in many TV shows and films. She is best known for playing Ruth Jones in the comedy show Rising Damp from 1974 to 1978. She said that Ruth Jones was an "interesting character to play." When she played Ruth Jones again in the 1980 film version, she won the Best Actress award at the Evening Standard British Film Awards.

In 2005, she played Olympe Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. She also had a small role as Madame Maxime in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010). Other TV roles include Agatha Christie's Poirot: Death on the Nile (2004) and Agatha Christie's Marple: The Moving Finger (2006).

She was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2006 for her supporting role in The History Boys film. She also appeared in Tim Burton's 2010 film Alice in Wonderland as Aunt Imogene. In 2012, she was in the film Hugo.

From 2013 to 2016, Frances de la Tour played Violet Crosby in the ITV comedy show Vicious, alongside Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi. From 2013 to 2014, she played headmistress Ms. Baron in the BBC One comedy show Big School. In 2016, she joined the TV series Outlander as Mother Hildegarde. In 2021, she appeared in the ITV show Professor T., playing the main character's mother.

Personal Life and Interests

Frances de la Tour is the sister of actor and writer Andy de la Tour. As mentioned, a TV show found that she is a descendant of the old Delaval family.

Frances de la Tour has been interested in politics. In the 1970s, she was a member of a political group called the Workers' Revolutionary Party.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1970 Country Dance District Nurse
Every Home Should Have One Maud Crape
1972 Our Miss Fred Miss Lockhart
1974–1978 Rising Damp Miss Ruth Jones 24 episodes
1976 To the Devil a Daughter Salvation Army Major
1977 Wombling Free Julia Frogmorton
Maggie: It's Me Maggie
1980 Rising Damp Miss Ruth Jones Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress
Flickers Maud Cole
1983 The Bounder Celia
1984 Ellis Island Millie Renfrew
1985 Murder with Mirrors Miss Bellaver
1990 Strike It Rich Mrs. De Vere
1996 Cold Lazarus Emma Porlock
1997 The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling Aunt Western
1998 Heartbeat Tessa Episode "Bad Penny"
1999 The Cherry Orchard Charlotte Ivanova
2004 Agatha Christie's Poirot Salome Otterbourne Episode "Death on the Nile"
Waking the Dead Alice Taylor-Garrett Episode "False Flag"
2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Madame Olympe Maxime
Sensitive Skin Sarah Thorne 1 episode
2006 Agatha Christie's Marple Mrs. Maud Dane Calthrop Episode The Moving Finger
The History Boys Dorothy Lintott Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominated – British Independent Film Awards
New Tricks Professor Styles 1 episode (Old Dogs)
2010 The Book of Eli Martha
Alice in Wonderland Aunt Imogene
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Madame Olympe Maxime
The Nutcracker in 3D The Rat Queen/Housekeeper
2011 Hugo Madame Emile
2012 Private Peaceful Grandma Wolf
2013–2016 Vicious Violet Crosby
2013–2014 Big School Ms. Margaret Baron
2014 Into the Woods The Giantess
2015 Mr. Holmes Madame Schirmer
Survivor Sally
The Lady in the Van Ursula Vaughan Williams
Miss You Already Jill
2016 Outlander Mother Hildegarde Series 2
The Collection Yvette
2017 Man in an Orange Shirt Mrs March
2018 Vanity Fair Lady Matilda Crawley
2020 Dolittle Dragon (voice)
Enola Holmes The Dowager
2021 The Prince Queen Elizabeth II (voice)
2021–present Professor T. Adelaide

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1980 Olivier Award Best Actress in a New Play Duet for One Won
1980 Evening Standard Film Award Best Actress Rising Damp Won
1983 Olivier Award Best Actress in a Revival A Moon for the Misbegotten Won
1986 BAFTA TV Award Best Actress Duet for One Nominated
1992 Olivier Award Best Supporting Actress When She Danced Won
1995 Olivier Award Best Actress Les Parents Terribles Nominated
2006 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play The History Boys Won
2006 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play The History Boys Won
2006 British Independent Film Award Best Actress The History Boys Nominated
2007 BAFTA Film Award Best Supporting Actress The History Boys Nominated
2014 BAFTA TV Award Best Female Comedy Performance Vicious Nominated

Stage Performances

Year Title Role(s) Notes Ref.
1965 Timon of Athens unnamed parts
Hamlet unnamed parts
1966 The Government Inspector Avdotya, Wife
Henry IV, Part 1 unnamed parts
Twelfth Night unnamed parts
Henry V Alice
The Proposal Natalyia Stepanovna
1967 The Taming of the Shrew Nicholas, Widow
As You Like It Audrey
The Relapse Miss Hoyden
1969 Dutch Uncle Doris Hoyden
A Midsummer Night's Dream Helena
1970 Doctor Faustus Devil
Hamlet Player Queen
1971 A Midsummer Night's Dream Helena Broadway debut
The Man of Mode Bellinda
The Balcony Bishop's girl
1973 The Banana Box Ruth Jones
1975 The Vegetable; or, From President to Postman Charlotte
As You Like It Rosalind
1979 Hamlet Hamlet
1980 Duet for One Stephanie Anderson
1982 Uncle Vanya Sonya
1983 A Moon for the Misbegotten Josie Hogan
1984 Saint Joan St. Joan
1985 The Dance of Death Alice
1989 King Lear Regan
Chekhov's Women performer
1991 When She Danced Miss Belzer
1994 Three Tall Women Middle Tall Woman
1998 The Play About the Baby Woman
1999 The Forest Raisa Pavlovna Gurmyzhskaya
Antony and Cleopatra Cleopatra
2000 Fallen Angels Jane Banbury
2001 The Good Hope Kitty
2003 The Dance of Death Alice
2004 The History Boys Mrs. Lintott
2007 Boeing-Boeing Bertha
2009 The Habit of Art Stage Manager
2012 People Dorothy

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Frances de la Tour para niños

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