Joan Hickson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joan Hickson
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Hickson as Miss Marple
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| Born |
Joan Bogle Hickson
5 August 1906 Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire, England
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| Died | 17 October 1998 (aged 92) Colchester, Essex, England
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1927–1993 |
| Spouse(s) |
Eric Butler
(m. 1932; died 1967) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play 1979 Bedroom Farce |
Joan Bogle Hickson, who was awarded the OBE, was a famous English actress. She was born on August 5, 1906, and passed away on October 17, 1998. Joan Hickson was well-known for her work in theatre, movies, and television.
She is most famous for playing Agatha Christie's beloved detective, Miss Marple, in the TV series Miss Marple. She also read many of the Miss Marple stories for audiobooks, bringing the character to life for listeners.
Contents
About Joan Hickson
Joan Hickson was born in Kingsthorpe, which is in Northampton. Her parents were Edith Mary and Alfred Harold Hickson, who was a shoe manufacturer. After attending Oldfield School, she went on to train as an actress at RADA in London.
Early Acting Career
Joan Hickson started her acting career on stage in 1927. For several years, she worked in theatres across the United Kingdom. She became very good at playing funny and often quirky characters in London's famous West End theatres.
In 1944, she played a character named Ida in a play called See How They Run. She also made her first movie appearance in 1934. Over her career, she took on many supporting roles. These included parts in several Carry On films, like playing a Sister in Carry On Nurse.
A Special Wish from Agatha Christie
In the 1940s, Joan Hickson acted in a play by Agatha Christie called Appointment with Death. After seeing her perform, Agatha Christie sent Joan a special note. In it, she wrote, "I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple." This was a wish that would later come true in a big way!
In 1961, Joan Hickson played a housekeeper in the movie Murder, She Said. This film was based on Agatha Christie's novel 4.50 From Paddington. The main role of Miss Marple in that movie was played by Margaret Rutherford.
Television Roles
From 1963 to 1966, Joan Hickson played Mrs. Peace, a housekeeper, in the popular TV series Our Man at St Mark's. She also appeared in other TV shows, like Bachelor Father from 1970 to 1971.
Stage Successes
Her theatre career included roles in plays by famous writers like Noël Coward. She also won a special award, a Tony Award, in 1979 for her role in Alan Ayckbourn's play Bedroom Farce. In 1980, she appeared in another production based on an Agatha Christie novel, Why Didn't They Ask Evans?.
Playing Miss Marple
The BBC started making TV adaptations of Agatha Christie's books in the mid-1980s. They wanted to make sure the stories were very true to the books and that Miss Marple was shown just as Christie had written her.
Joan Hickson was chosen to play Miss Marple in all 12 of these TV adaptations. These shows were made between 1984 and 1992. For her amazing performances, she was nominated for two BAFTA awards for Best TV Actress.
In June 1987, Joan Hickson was given the OBE award. It is said that Queen Elizabeth II told her, "You play the part just as one envisages it." This meant the Queen thought Joan played Miss Marple exactly as she imagined the character.
When Joan Hickson decided to stop playing Miss Marple, she felt it was best to end while the show was still very popular. However, she said she had no plans to stop acting completely.
Life in Wivenhoe
From 1958 until her death in 1998, Joan Hickson lived in Rose Lane, Wivenhoe. This town is along the River Colne in Essex, about 43 miles (69 km) from London. Today, a special plaque marks the house where she lived for 40 years.
Family Life
Joan Hickson married Dr. Eric Norman Butler, who was a physician, on October 29, 1932. They were married at Hampstead Parish Church in Northwest London. They had two children together. Her husband passed away in Colchester, Essex, in June 1967.
Passing Away
Joan Hickson died from a stroke in 1998 at Colchester General Hospital. She was 92 years old. She is buried under her married name, Joan Bogle Butler, at Sidbury Cemetery in Devon.
The Miss Marple Series (BBC)
Here are the TV adaptations of Miss Marple stories that Joan Hickson starred in:
Series 1
- The Body in the Library (1984)
- The Moving Finger (1985)
- A Murder Is Announced (1985)
- A Pocket Full of Rye (1985)
Series 2
- The Murder at the Vicarage (1986) – She received a BAFTA nomination for this one.
- Sleeping Murder (1987)
- At Bertram's Hotel (1987)
- Nemesis (1987) – She received another BAFTA nomination.
Stand-alone Feature Length Episodes
- 4.50 from Paddington (1987)
- A Caribbean Mystery (1989)
- They Do It With Mirrors (1991)
- The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1992)
