Rita Tushingham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rita Tushingham
Tushingham in 2008
Born	(1942-03-14) 14 March 1942 (age 83) Garston, Liverpool, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1961–present
Spouse(s)	Terry Bicknell (m. 1962; div. 1976) Ousama Rawi ​ ​ (m. 1981; div. 1996)​
Partner(s)	Hans-Heinrich Ziemann (1994–present)
Children	2

Rita Tushingham (born 14 March 1942) is a famous British actress. She is well-known for her main roles in movies like A Taste of Honey (1961), The Knack ...and How to Get It (1965), and Doctor Zhivago (1965).

For her role in A Taste of Honey, Rita won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. She also won awards for being a promising new actress at the BAFTA Awards and Golden Globe Awards.

Early Life

Rita Tushingham was born on March 14, 1942, in Garston, a part of Liverpool, England. Her father owned three grocery shops. She grew up in the Hunt's Cross area of the city.

Rita went to Heatherlea School and La Sagesse School. She also studied shorthand and typing at a secretarial school. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be an actress. She trained at the Shelagh Elliott-Clarke School. After her training, she worked as an assistant stage manager at the Liverpool Playhouse.

Her Acting Career

Rita Tushingham's first movie was A Taste of Honey in 1961. This film was very important. Rita said that she and her co-star, Paul Danquah, had the first interracial kiss shown on screen.

The movie also showed different kinds of people and relationships that weren't often seen in films back then. Because of this, A Taste of Honey was even banned in some countries.

More Film and TV Roles

Rita starred in many other films. These include Girl with Green Eyes (1964), The Leather Boys (1964), and The Trap (1966). She also appeared in Smashing Time (1967) and The Bed Sitting Room (1969).

Later in her career, Rita appeared in the movie Being Julia (2004) with Annette Bening. She also acted in TV shows like "The Sittaford Mystery" (2006), which was an episode of Marple. In 2014, she was in the zombie drama In The Flesh. More recently, she appeared in The Pale Horse in 2020 and Last Night in Soho in 2021.

On Stage and Awards

In the 1960s, Rita also performed in several plays. She acted for the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre. Some of her plays included The Changeling (1961) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (1962).

Besides her acting awards, Rita was also a judge at the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival in 1972. She was a judge again at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival in 1990.

Being Remembered

Rita Tushingham's work has been honored in different ways. Clips from her movie The Leather Boys were used in The Smiths' music video for "Girlfriend in a Coma" in 1987.

She is also mentioned in songs by other bands. These include "L. Wells" by Franz Ferdinand and "Ilya Kuryakin Looked at Me" by Cleaners From Venus. In 1999, she was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life.

Life Outside Acting

London (2006)

Rita Tushingham married photographer Terry Bicknell in 1962. They had two daughters named Dodonna and Aisha. Later, she married Iraqi cinematographer Ousama Rawi in 1981. She lived in Canada for eight years with him.

Since 1994, Rita has been with German writer Hans-Heinrich Ziemann. As of 2020, she lives in London, close to her daughter Aisha and her grandchildren.

Family and Activism

In 2005, Rita's daughter Aisha was diagnosed with breast cancer. Aisha recovered and later had a son. After this, Rita became very active in supporting breast cancer health. She works with Cancer Research UK's Relay For Life and often speaks out to help people learn more about breast cancer.

Other Interests

In July 2009, Rita received an Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University. This was for her amazing work in acting. Rita has also said she is a "lifelong football fan" and supports Liverpool F.C..

In June 2022, Rita was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs. On the show, guests choose songs, a book, and a luxury item they would take if they were stuck on a desert island. Her song choices included "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Filmography

Film

Television Roles

Awards and Recognition

Rita Tushingham was also made an Honorary Associate of London Film School.

See also

In Spanish: Rita Tushingham para niños