Hayley Mills facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hayley Mills
Mills in 2018
Born	Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (1946-04-18) 18 April 1946 (age 79) Marylebone, London, England
Education	Elmhurst Ballet School
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1958–present
Spouse(s)	Roy Boulting ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1977)​
Partner(s)	Leigh Lawson (1975–1984) Firdous Bamji (1997–present)
Children	2, including Crispian Mills
Parent(s)	Sir John Mills Mary Hayley Bell
Relatives	Juliet Mills (sister) Annette Mills (aunt) Susie Blake (Cousin) Mark Weedon (cousin)

Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is a famous English actress. She comes from a family of actors. Her father was Sir John Mills, her mother was Mary Hayley Bell, and her older sister is actress Juliet Mills.

Hayley started acting when she was a child and quickly became a big star. She won a BAFTA Award for her first major film, Tiger Bay (1959). For her role in the Disney movie Pollyanna (1960), she received a special miniature Oscar.

During the 1960s, Hayley starred in six popular movies for Walt Disney. One of her most famous roles was playing identical twins Susan and Sharon in The Parent Trap (1961). She continued to act in movies and on television as an adult and received the Disney Legend Award for her work. In 2021, she wrote a book about her life called Forever Young.

Early Life and Family

Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills was born in London, England. Her parents were the well-known actor Sir John Mills and the actress and writer Mary Hayley Bell. Hayley grew up in an acting family, and her sister, Juliet Mills, also became an actress.

A Star from the Start

First Film Success

When Hayley was just 12 years old, she was chosen for a main role in the movie Tiger Bay. The director, J. Lee Thompson, had been looking for a boy to play the part. But when he saw Hayley, he gave the role to her. The movie was a big hit in Britain and started her career.

Working with Disney

A producer for Walt Disney named Bill Anderson saw Hayley in Tiger Bay. He thought she would be perfect for the lead role in Disney's next film, Pollyanna (1960). Hayley played a cheerful orphan girl who changes a whole town with her positive attitude. The movie made her a superstar in America. She won a special, smaller-sized Oscar trophy called the Academy Juvenile Award. It was the last one ever given out.

Her next Disney movie was The Parent Trap (1961), where she played two characters. She was both Susan and Sharon, twin sisters who meet at summer camp and try to get their divorced parents back together. In the movie, she sang the song "Let's Get Together" as a duet with herself. The song became a worldwide hit.

Hayley Mills in 1960, around the time she starred in Pollyanna.

Hayley then starred in Whistle Down the Wind (1961). The story, based on a novel by her mother, is about children who think an escaped prisoner is Jesus. The film was very popular, and in 1961, people in Britain voted her their favorite star.

She continued to make successful movies with Disney, including the adventure film In Search of the Castaways (1962) and the musical Summer Magic (1963). Her final movie for Disney as a child star was the comedy That Darn Cat! (1965), which was another box office hit.

During her time with Disney, Hayley was one of the most popular child actors in the world. She even released an album called Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills, which included her hit songs.

Career as an Adult

Moving Beyond Disney

After her contract with Disney ended, Hayley wanted to try different kinds of roles. She starred in the movie The Family Way (1966) with her father. On the set of this film, she met director Roy Boulting, whom she later married.

She also acted in other films like The Trouble with Angels (1966), where she played a mischievous student at a boarding school. She continued to work in movies through the 1970s, including Endless Night (1972), which was based on a book by Agatha Christie.

Return to Television

In the 1980s, Hayley returned to her Disney roots. She starred in three TV sequels to The Parent Trap. She also had the main role in the television series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which later became the popular show Saved by the Bell.

From 2007 to 2012, she played a main character named Caroline in the British TV series Wild at Heart. She has continued to appear in TV shows like Midsomer Murders and The Wheel of Time.

Stage Career

Besides movies and TV, Hayley has also had a long career in theatre. She first appeared on stage in a 1969 production of Peter Pan.

Over the years, she has starred in many plays. In the 1990s, she played Anna Leonowens in the famous musical The King and I in both Australia and the United States. In 2012, she toured the UK in a play called Ladies in Lavender. She has continued to act on stage in both London and New York.

Personal Life

While filming The Family Way in 1966, Hayley met director Roy Boulting. They married in 1971 and had a son, Crispian Mills, who is the lead singer of the band Kula Shaker. Hayley and Roy divorced in 1977.

Hayley also has a second son, Jason Lawson, from her relationship with actor Leigh Lawson. Since 1997, her partner has been actor and writer Firdous Bamji.

In 2008, Hayley was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery and chose alternative treatments to help her recover. She announced in 2012 that she was fully healthy again.

Filmography

Film

Television

Images for kids

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  Mills and Firdous Bamji in 1997

See also

In Spanish: Hayley Mills para niños