Thora Hird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thora Hird
|
|
|---|---|
Hird in 1974
|
|
| Born | 28 May 1911 Morecambe, Lancashire, England
|
| Died | 15 March 2003 (aged 91) Twickenham, London, England
|
| Resting place | Chichester Crematorium and Garden of Remembrance, Chichester, West Sussex, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1931–2003 |
|
Notable work
|
See here |
| Television | Last of the Summer Wine In Loving Memory Hallelujah! |
| Spouse(s) |
James Scott
(m. 1937; |
| Children | Janette Scott |
Dame Thora Hird (born May 28, 1911 – died March 15, 2003) was a famous English actress. She had a very long career, lasting over 70 years. During this time, she acted in more than 100 movies and many TV shows. She became a well-known and loved figure in Britain.
Thora Hird won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress three times. She won for her roles in Talking Heads: A Cream Cracker Under the Settee (1989), Talking Heads: Waiting for the Telegram (1999), and Lost for Words (2000). She also received a special BAFTA award in 1994. Some of her famous movies include The Love Match (1955) and The Entertainer (1960).
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Acting
Thora Hird was born on May 28, 1911, in Morecambe, a seaside town in Lancashire, England. Her family was very involved in theatre. Her mother was an actress, and her father managed several entertainment places in Morecambe.
Thora first appeared on stage when she was just two months old! Her father was managing a play, and she was carried on stage in her mother's arms. Before becoming a full-time actress, she worked at a local shop. Later, she joined the Morecambe Repertory Theatre.
Her father was a tough critic, but Thora said his advice helped her become a great actress and comedian. In 1944, she made her first appearance in London's West End in a play called No Medals. Even after moving away, she always loved Morecambe. She called herself a "sand grown 'un," which is a local term for someone born there.
Film and TV Roles
Thora Hird often appeared in movies, especially in her early career. She was in a wartime film called Went the Day Well? (1942). In this movie, she even used a rifle to defend a house from German paratroopers! She also worked with famous British comedian Will Hay.
She acted alongside big stars like Laurence Olivier in The Entertainer (1960). She also appeared with Alan Bates in A Kind of Loving (1962).
Thora Hird became most famous for her roles in television comedy. She starred in popular sitcoms like Meet the Wife (1963–66) and In Loving Memory (1979–86). She was also in Hallelujah! (1983–84).
For almost 20 years, she played the character Edie Pegden in the beloved show Last of the Summer Wine (1986–2003). Thora Hird played many different characters. She even played the nurse in a TV version of Romeo and Juliet. She won BAFTA awards for her roles in two of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads monologues.
In Hallelujah!, she played Captain Emily Ridley, a character from the Salvation Army. Thora Hird supported the Salvation Army throughout her life. She also played Mrs. Speck, a housekeeper, in The Tailor of Gloucester (1989).
In 1993, she played Annie Longden in Wide-Eyed and Legless. She played this role again in the 1999 TV film Lost for Words, which earned her another BAFTA for Best Actress.
Religious Programs and Charity Work
Thora Hird was a very religious person. She hosted Christian TV shows like Your Songs of Praise Choice (1979–1983) and Praise Be! (1984–1993). These shows were related to the popular Songs of Praise on the BBC.
Even when she was older and not well, she continued her work for charity and on television. This made her a true British icon. She also appeared in commercials for Churchill stairlifts, which kept her in the public eye.
Awards and Recognition
Thora Hird received high honors from the British Crown. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1983. Later, in 1993, she was made a Dame Commander (DBE), which is like being knighted for women. This is why she is called "Dame Thora Hird."
She also received an honorary degree from Lancaster University in 1989.
Later Years and Final Roles
In 1998, Thora Hird appeared in the TV show Dinnerladies. She played a short but lively role as Dolly's sarcastic mother, using a wheelchair.
Her very last acting job was for BBC Radio 7 in 2002. It was a play written for her by Alan Bennett called The Last of the Sun. In it, she played a strong, open-minded woman who was in an old people's home but still stood up for herself.
Honored on This Is Your Life
Thora Hird was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life twice. This show surprises famous people by telling their life story. She was first surprised in 1964 and then again in 1996 while filming Last of the Summer Wine.
Family Life
Thora Hird married musician James Scott in 1937. They had a daughter, Janette Scott, who also became an actress, in 1938. Thora was married for 57 years until her husband passed away in 1994.
In her later life, Thora Hird had some health challenges. She had a heart bypass operation in 1992. She also suffered from severe arthritis and needed several hip replacements. Because of this, she used a wheelchair in her final years.
Passing Away
Thora Hird passed away on March 15, 2003, at the age of 91, after having a stroke. A special memorial service was held for her at Westminster Abbey in London. More than 2,000 people attended, including many famous actors and writers.
In July 2019, a special blue plaque was placed on the house in Bayswater where Thora Hird lived for over 50 years. This plaque honors her memory and her contributions to acting.
