Frances de la Tour facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frances de la Tour
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

Awards and Nominations

Stage Performances

See also

In Spanish: Frances de la Tour para niños