Gladys Cooper facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Gladys Cooper DBE
Cooper in 1913
Born	Gladys Constance Cooper (1888-12-18)18 December 1888 Hither Green, London, England
Died	17 November 1971(1971-11-17) (aged 82) Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1905–1971
Spouse(s)	Capt. Herbert John Buckmaster ​ ​ (m. 1908; div. 1921)​ Neville Pearson, 2nd Baronet ​ ​ (m. 1927; div. 1936)​ Philip Merivale ​ ​ (m. 1937; died 1946)​
Children	3

Dame Gladys Constance Cooper (born December 18, 1888 – died November 17, 1971) was a famous English actress. She was also a theater manager and producer. Her amazing career lasted for seven decades! She performed on stage, in movies, and on television.

Gladys started acting as a teenager in musical comedies and pantomimes. She became a star in serious plays and silent films before World War I. From 1917 to 1934, she managed the Playhouse Theatre. She played many important roles there. In the 1920s, Gladys Cooper earned great praise for her acting. She performed in plays by famous writers like William Somerset Maugham.

In the 1930s, she was a regular star in London's West End and on Broadway. In 1940, she moved to Hollywood. There, she became very successful in many different character roles. She was nominated three times for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. These nominations were for her roles in The Song of Bernadette (1943), My Fair Lady (1964), and Now, Voyager (1942). Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, she continued to work on stage and screen. She kept acting on stage until her final year.

Early Life and Stage Career

Cooper (left) and
Marie Studholme, around 1894

Gladys Cooper was born in Hither Green, London. She was the oldest of three daughters. Her family moved to Chiswick when she was a baby. She spent most of her childhood there.

Gladys first appeared on stage in 1905. She toured with Seymour Hicks in his musical Bluebell in Fairyland. She also became a popular model for photographs. In 1906, she acted in The Belle of Mayfair in London. Then she was in the pantomime Babes in the Wood. The next year, she joined the chorus at the Gaiety Theatre. She played a small role in The Girls of Gottenberg.

In 1908, she appeared in the musical Havana. The next year, she played Lady Connie in Our Miss Gibbs. She then toured again with Hicks in Papa's Wife. After that, she was Sadie von Tromp in The Dollar Princess. In 1911, she performed in The Importance of Being Earnest and Man and Superman. In 1912, she played Muriel Pym in Milestones. A big moment in 1913 was playing Dora in Diplomacy. That year, she also played the main role in The Pursuit of Pamela.

Cooper around the 1910s

In 1913, Gladys Cooper made her first film, The Eleventh Commandment. She made several more silent films during and after World War I. However, she continued to work full-time on stage. She appeared in The Admirable Crichton in 1916. In 1917, Cooper became a co-manager of the Playhouse Theatre. She took full control from 1927 until 1933. During these years, she often starred in My Lady's Dress.

In 1919, she appeared in W. Somerset Maugham's Home and Beauty. She also produced and played many roles at the Playhouse Theatre. In 1922, when she was in her mid-thirties, she achieved major success. This was for her role in Arthur Wing Pinero's The Second Mrs. Tanqueray. Early in her career, some people said her acting was too stiff. But she improved a lot. Maugham praised her for becoming a very skilled actress.

For Christmas shows in 1923 and 1924, Cooper played the main character in Peter Pan. She also played other roles at the Adelphi Theatre. She appeared in Maugham's The Letter in 1927 and 1928. In 1929, she was in Maugham's The Sacred Flame.

In the 1930s, Cooper played many roles. These included Mariella Linden in The Shining Hour (1934-1935). At the same time, she made her first "talkie" film, The Iron Duke. She also played Desdemona and Lady Macbeth on Broadway in 1935. From 1935 to 1936, she was Dorothy Hilton in Call it a Day. In 1938, she played Tiny Fox-Collier in Spring Meeting. She also performed several Shakespeare roles.

Hollywood and Later Career

Cooper in Now, Voyager (1942)

In 1940, Gladys Cooper started working in films full-time. She found great success in Hollywood. She often played strong, upper-class women. But sometimes she played friendly, easy-going characters, like in Rebecca (1940). She was nominated three times for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. These nominations were for her roles as:

• Bette Davis's strict mother in Now, Voyager (1942)
• A doubting nun in The Song of Bernadette (1943)
• Rex Harrison's mother, Mrs. Higgins, in My Fair Lady (1964)

In 1945, she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Her films there included The Green Years (1946) and The Secret Garden (1949). Other notable film roles were in The Man Who Loved Redheads (1955) and Separate Tables (1958). She also sang in The Happiest Millionaire (1967).

Gladys returned to the theater more often in the 1950s and 1960s. She played in London and on tour. Some of her roles included Felicity in Relative Values (1951) and Mrs. St. Maugham in The Chalk Garden (1955–56). She received two nominations for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. These were for her roles in The Chalk Garden and A Passage to India.

The cast of The Rogues (1964): Charles Boyer, Gig Young, David Niven, Robert Coote and Cooper

She also had many television roles in the 1950s and 1960s. She appeared in three episodes of The Twilight Zone. Gladys Cooper starred in The Rogues (1964–65). In this series, she played the wise leader of a family of con artists. They only tricked criminals.

In 1967, at 79 years old, she was given a special honor. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). Her last big success on stage was at age 82. This was in 1970–71, playing Mrs. St. Maugham in The Chalk Garden.

Her last public appearance was on a TV show in May 1971. Her co-star from Now, Voyager, Bette Davis, spoke about her after she passed away. Bette Davis called Gladys "Without a doubt, the most beautiful person as well as actress, and a professional."

Personal Life

Cooper with her children, John and Joan

Gladys Cooper was married three times:

• Her first husband was Captain Herbert Buckmaster (1908–1921). They had two children: Joan and John Rodney. Joan later married the actor Robert Morley.
• Her second husband was Sir Neville Pearson (1927–1936). They had one daughter, Sally Pearson. Sally later married the actor Robert Hardy.
• Her third husband was Philip Merivale (1937–1946), who was also an actor. He passed away at age 59.

Gladys Cooper wrote a book about her life in 1931. She spent her final years mostly in England. She passed away from pneumonia in 1971 at the age of 82. This was in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

Film and TV Roles

Gladys Cooper appeared in many films and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Images for kids

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  Cooper in 1913

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  Cooper (left) and Marie Studholme, around 1894

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  Cooper around the 1910s

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  Cooper in Now, Voyager (1942)

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  The cast of The Rogues (1964): Charles Boyer, Gig Young, David Niven, Robert Coote and Cooper

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  Cooper with her children, John and Joan

See also

In Spanish: Gladys Cooper para niños