Lionel Jeffries facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lionel Jeffries
Born	Lionel Charles Jeffries (1926-06-10)10 June 1926 Forest Hill, London, England
Died	19 February 2010(2010-02-19) (aged 83) Poole, Dorset, England
Education	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actor director screenwriter
Years active	1950–2001
Spouse(s)	Eileen Mary Walsh ​ (m. 1951)​
Children	3; including Ty Jeffries
Relatives	Amy Mason (granddaughter)

Lionel Charles Jeffries (born June 10, 1926 – died February 19, 2010) was a talented English actor, director, and screenwriter. He was famous for his roles in many films and was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his acting.

His Early Life

Lionel Jeffries was born in Forest Hill, a part of south London. His parents worked as social workers for the Salvation Army. As a boy, he went to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wimborne Minster, Dorset.

In 1945, during the Second World War, he joined the army. He served in Burma at a radio station in Rangoon. He was even awarded the Burma Star for his service. He later said the hot, wet weather there caused him to lose his hair when he was only 19! He also served as a captain in the Royal West African Frontier Force.

Acting and Directing

Lionel Jeffries studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He then spent two years performing in plays at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre in Lichfield. He also appeared in some of the first British television plays.

He became well-known in British films, often playing funny characters. Because he lost his hair early, he frequently played people older than himself. For example, in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), he played Grandpa Potts. He was the father of Caractacus Potts, played by Dick Van Dyke, even though Jeffries was actually six months younger than Van Dyke!

The 1960s were a very busy time for his acting career. He had important roles in films like Two-Way Stretch (1960), The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), and Murder Ahoy!. He also starred in First Men in the Moon (1964) and Camelot (1967).

Later, Lionel Jeffries started writing and directing movies, especially films for children. He directed a much-loved version of The Railway Children (1970). He also directed The Amazing Mr Blunden (1972). He was a member of the British Catholic Stage Guild.

For many years, he didn't like working in television. However, in 1980, he acted in a TV drama called Cream in My Coffee. He realized that TV shows were now made almost as well as movies. After that, he started acting on television more often. He appeared in an episode of the comedy-drama Minder in 1983. He also had a role in an episode of Inspector Morse in 1990.

He starred as Tom in the TV comedy Tom, Dick and Harriet. During filming in 1983, a car stunt went wrong, and he had to quickly escape from a car that sank into deep water!

Later Years

Lionel Jeffries stopped acting in 2001. His health began to decline in the years that followed. He passed away on February 19, 2010, at a nursing home in Poole, Dorset. He had been living with a memory condition called vascular dementia for the last twelve years of his life. He was 83 years old.

He was married to Eileen Mary Walsh from 1951 until he passed away. They had a son and two daughters. His son, Ty Jeffries, is a composer and artist. Lionel Jeffries' granddaughter, Amy Mason, is a writer.

His name is remembered at the end of the 2010 film The First Men in the Moon with the words: "For Lionel Jeffries 1926–2010".

Complete Filmography

As actor

As writer or director

• The Railway Children (1970) – director and screenwriter
• The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972) – director and screenwriter
• Baxter! (1973) – director
• Wombling Free (1977) – director and screenwriter
• The Water Babies (1978) – director and additional material writer
• Nelson's Touch (1979 short) – screenwriter

See also

In Spanish: Lionel Jeffries para niños