Kathleen Byron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kathleen Byron
Byron in Black Narcissus
Born	Kathleen Elizabeth Fell (1921-01-11)11 January 1921 Manor Park, Essex, England
Died	18 January 2009(2009-01-18) (aged 88) Northwood, London, England
Other names	Kathleen Jacob
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1938–2001
Spouse(s)	Daniel Bowen ​ ​ (m. 1943; div. 1950)​ Alaric Jacob ​ ​ (m. 1953; died 1995)​
Children	3

Kathleen Byron (born Kathleen Elizabeth Fell, 11 January 1921 – 18 January 2009) was a talented English actress. She was known for her roles in many films and TV shows, especially in the 1940s and 1950s.

Kathleen Byron's Early Life

Kathleen Elizabeth Fell was born in Manor Park, England. Her parents were strong supporters of the working class and later became mayors for the Labour Party in their area.

Kathleen went to a local grammar school. She then studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Her first speaking role in a film was in The Young Mr. Pitt (1942). She played a maid and had two lines.

Kathleen Byron's Acting Career

Kathleen Byron as Ann Peters

In 1943, Kathleen Byron married an American pilot and moved to the United States. However, director Michael Powell convinced her to return to Britain. This led to her most famous film roles.

She starred in several films made by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. She played an angel in A Matter of Life and Death (1946). She also played the troubled Sister Ruth in Black Narcissus (1947). For this role, she was nominated for Best Actress by the New York Film Critics' Circle. She also appeared in The Small Back Room (1949).

Her success in Black Narcissus led her to Hollywood. She had a supporting role in Young Bess (1953). However, she found the experience unfulfilling and soon returned to Britain. Many of her later roles were in smaller films, sometimes called "B films." She also had a role in the TV soap opera Emergency Ward 10 from 1957 to 1967.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Kathleen Byron worked a lot in television. She appeared in a Danger Man episode in 1961. She also played Queen Louise of Denmark in Edward the Seventh (1975). She was Madame Celeste Lekeu in two episodes of the BBC drama Secret Army (1977). She even had a brief role in the soap opera Emmerdale Farm in 1979.

Kathleen Byron continued acting into the 2000s. Her later work included Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap (1990). She was in an adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma (1996). She also appeared in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan (1998). Other roles included Midsomer Murders (1999) and Perfect Strangers (2001).

Kathleen Byron's Personal Life and Death

In 1953, Kathleen Byron married her second husband, Alaric Jacob. He was a British journalist and writer who worked for the BBC. They had one son and one daughter. Alaric also had a child from a previous marriage.

Kathleen Byron passed away on 18 January 2009. She was 88 years old. She died at Denville Hall in Northwood, London, after battling breast cancer.

Selected Film and TV Roles

See also

In Spanish: Kathleen Byron para niños