Francesca Annis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francesca Annis
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Annis in trailer for Flipper's New Adventure (1964)
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| Born | 14 May 1945 Kensington, London, England
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Partner(s) | Patrick Wiseman (1976–1997) Ralph Fiennes (1995–2006) |
| Children | 3 |
Francesca Annis (born 14 May 1945) is a talented English actress. She is well-known for her roles in many television shows. These include Reckless (1998), Wives and Daughters (1999), and Cranford (2007). Francesca Annis has been nominated for the BAFTA TV Award six times. She won the Best Actress award in 1979 for the TV series Lillie. Her film work includes Macbeth (1971), Krull (1983), and Dune (1984).
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Early Life and Training
Francesca Annis was born in Kensington, London, in 1945. Her father, Lester William Anthony Annis, was English. Her mother, Mariquita Purcell, was from Brazil and France. Both of her parents were actors at different times. Her mother also sang blues music.
When Francesca was one year old, her family moved to Brazil. They lived there for six years. She returned to England when she was seven. She remembers her parents running a nightclub on Copacabana beach. Her mother performed there as a singer.
Francesca went to a convent school. When she was young, she trained to be a ballet dancer. She learned the Russian style of ballet at the Corona Stage Academy.
Acting Career Highlights
Francesca Annis started acting professionally when she was a teenager. Her first film was The Cat Gang in 1959. She got a big role in the film Cleopatra (1963). She played Elizabeth Taylor's handmaiden. Francesca was only 16 years old at the time and was still studying ballet.
Her big break on stage was in the 1965 West End musical Passion Flower Hotel. She also played Estella in a TV show based on Great Expectations (1967). Francesca even presented children's television programs.
She became well-known for her strong performance as Lady Macbeth in Roman Polanski's film Macbeth (1971).
Fantasy and Science Fiction Roles
Francesca Annis played the "Widow of the Web" in the 1983 science fantasy film Krull. She also starred as Lady Jessica in the 1984 David Lynch science fiction film Dune.
She appeared as Tuppence in the TV film The Secret Adversary (1983). She continued this role in the TV series Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime (1983–84). In 1988, Annis played Jacqueline Kennedy in Onassis: The Richest Man in the World. She also appeared in the film Under The Cherry Moon (1986).
Stage Performances
Francesca Annis has had a successful career on stage. She played important roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company. For example, she was Luciana in The Comedy of Errors (1976). She also played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet with Ian McKellen in 1976.
At the Royal National Theatre in 1981, she played Natalya Petrovna in A Month in the Country. From 2005 to 2006, Annis starred as Ruth in Epitaph for George Dillon. In 2009, she returned to the stage as Mrs Conway in Time and the Conways.
Television Work
Francesca Annis appeared in many television shows throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. She played Lillie Langtry in Edward the Seventh (1975) and again in Lillie (1978). She also starred in Madame Bovary (1975).
From 1993 to 1994, she had a major role in the police drama Between the Lines. She also appeared in the miniseries Reckless (1998) and its sequel in 2000. Annis co-starred with Sir Michael Gambon and Dame Judi Dench in the BBC series Cranford (2007). In this show, she played Lady Ludlow, an aristocrat who did not believe in educating people from lower classes. More recently, Annis played a main role in the ITV drama Home Fires.
Personal Life
Francesca Annis was in a relationship with photographer Patrick Wiseman starting in 1974. They raised three children together: Charlotte, Taran, and Andreas.
In 1995, Annis began a relationship with actor Ralph Fiennes, who was her co-star in Hamlet. They announced their separation in February 2006 after 11 years together.
In 2009, Francesca Annis shared her positive outlook on life. She said she tends to "forget the bad things" and doesn't "dwell on them." She believes "it is better to be with someone than alone" and that "you live a fuller life" with someone else's ideas and input. She looks to the future with optimism.
Awards and Recognition
Francesca Annis has received several awards and nominations for her acting.
- In 1979, she won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for her role in Lillie.
- She was also nominated for Best Actress BAFTA TV Awards in 1974, 1976, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
- In 1977, she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival for her performance in Troilus and Cressida.
Images for kids
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Francesca Annis in a trailer for Flipper's New Adventure (1964)
See also
In Spanish: Francesca Annis para niños
