Lesley-Anne Down facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lesley-Anne Down
Down in 2008
Born	(1954-03-17) 17 March 1954 (age 71) Wandsworth, London, England
Occupation	Actress, singer, model
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Enrique Gabriel ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1981)​ William Friedkin ​ ​ (m. 1982; div. 1985)​ Don E. FauntLeRoy ​ ​ (m. 1986)​
Partner(s)	Bruce Robinson (1969–1979)
Children	2

Lesley-Anne Down (born on March 17, 1954) is a talented British actress and singer. She started her acting journey in movies in 1969. Later, she became very famous for her role as Georgina Worsley in the TV show Upstairs, Downstairs from 1973 to 1975.

She also starred in many popular films like The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and The First Great Train Robbery (1979). On television, she played leading roles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982) and the highly-rated miniseries North and South (1985–86). For North and South, she was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award!

In the 1990s, Lesley-Anne Down joined the cast of the TV series Dallas and later Sunset Beach. From 2003 to 2012, she was a main character, Jackie Marone, in the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She has had a long and successful career in both movies and television.

Life and Career Highlights

Early Years

Lesley-Anne Down was born in London, England, on March 17, 1954. She began acting and modeling when she was young. As a teenager, she won several beauty pageants. At just 15 years old, she was named Britain's most beautiful teenager. She left school at 15 and first visited America when she was 17.

Starting in the 1970s

In 1971, Lesley-Anne Down appeared in British TV shows like Six Dates with Barker. She also starred in three movies that year. One was Countess Dracula, a horror film where she played the Countess's daughter. She also appeared in the thriller Assault.

Down in Upstairs, Downstairs

In 1972, Down starred in the historical drama Pope Joan. The next year, she was in the Western film Scalawag with Kirk Douglas.

Down with Kirk Douglas and Mark Lester in Scalawag (1973)

A big moment in her career came in 1973 when she was cast as Georgina Worsley in the British drama Upstairs, Downstairs. This show was a huge success. After the series ended in 1975, she moved to Hollywood to focus on her film career.

Success in the Late 1970s

In 1976, Down starred in the comedy film The Pink Panther Strikes Again with Peter Sellers. This movie was very popular and earned a lot of money worldwide. The next year, she was in the musical film A Little Night Music alongside Elizabeth Taylor.

In 1978, she played the main role of burlesque artist Phyllis Dixey in the TV movie The One and Only Phyllis Dixey. She also starred with Sean Connery in the heist comedy The First Great Train Robbery. Critics praised her performance in this film. In 1979, Down appeared with Harrison Ford in the romantic war drama Hanover Street.

The 1980s and Big Roles

In 1980, Lesley-Anne Down starred with Burt Reynolds in the crime comedy Rough Cut. In 1981, she played an Egyptologist in the adventure film Sphinx.

After Sphinx, Down returned to television. She played Esméralda in the 1982 TV movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Anthony Hopkins. They worked together again in the 1984 romantic war drama Arch of Triumph. She also appeared in the miniseries The Last Days of Pompeii.

A major role for Down was Madeline Fabray LaMotte in the ABC miniseries North and South in 1985. This series was based on popular novels and became one of the highest-rated miniseries in TV history. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award in 1986. In 1986, she also starred with Pierce Brosnan in the horror film Nomads.

The 1990s and Beyond

In 1990, Down joined the cast of the TV show Dallas for a short time. She also made guest appearances on popular shows like The Nanny and Diagnosis: Murder. She continued to act in films such as Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994). In 1994, she returned to her role as Madeline Fabray LaMotte in Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III.

In 1996, she was cast as Olivia Richards in the new daytime soap opera Sunset Beach. Her character was a mix of strong female roles from other popular shows. For her work on Sunset Beach, she won "Best Actress" at the Soap Opera Update Awards in 1997.

After Sunset Beach ended in 1999, Down appeared in several films and TV movies. In 2001, she had a guest role on Days of Our Lives. In 2003, she joined the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful as Jackie Marone. She stayed on the show until 2012.

More recently, Down appeared in the thriller film Rosewood Lane (2011) and the horror film Dark House (2014). In 2015, she starred in the comedy Kill Me, Deadly. In 2020, Lesley-Anne Down announced her retirement from acting. However, she later returned to play British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 2024 film Reagan.

Personal Life

Lesley-Anne Down and Bruce Robinson (1979)

Lesley-Anne Down had a 10-year relationship with actor-writer Bruce Robinson. She then married Enrique Gabriel in 1980, but their marriage ended after about a year and a half. Her second marriage was to film director William Friedkin from 1982 to 1985. They had one son together.

She met her third husband, cinematographer Don E. FauntLeRoy, while filming the miniseries North and South in 1985. Down and FauntLeRoy have a son together.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

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