Billie Whitelaw
Born	Billie Whitelaw 6 June 1932 (1932-06-06) (age 75) Coventry, England, United Kingdom
Years active	1950 - 2002/ 2007
Spouse(s)	Peter Vaughan (1952-1966) Robert Muller (1967-1998)
Awards won BAFTA Awards Best Supporting Actress 1969 Charlie Bubbles 1969 Twisted Nerve Best Actress 1973 The Sextet

Billie Whitelaw, CBE (born June 6, 1932) is a distinguished English actress of both stage and film. The actress has won multiple BAFTA awards and Evening Standard British Film Awards for her film work and has appeared in many prestigious theatrical productions in a career spanning more than fifty years. If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... For other uses, see Coventry (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... BAFTA Award The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... Winners of the BAFTA Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. ... Twisted Nerve is a 1968 film about a disturbed young man, Martin, whose mother treats him like a small boy. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role has been presented to its winners since 1952 and actresses of all nationalities are eligible to receive the award. ... Since 1998, Trey Anastasio, best known from Phish, has toured and recorded with a several backup bands, including several side-projects organized and led by guitarist and composer. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... Established in 1973 this film award is given to outstanding achievement in British film by the British newspaper Evening Standard. ...

One of the most notable aspects of her diverse acting career has been her renowned twenty-five year collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett. Whitelaw is regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works, and continues to gives lectures on her experiences working with Beckett. Their collaboration has produced some of the most distinctive and innovative techniques in experimental theatre. In 1991, Whitelaw was awarded the CBE. Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish dramatist, novelist and poet. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander...

Biography

Early life

Whitelaw was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, the daughter of Frances Mary (née Williams) and Gerry Whitelaw.^[1] She grew up in a disadvantaged neighborhood and attended the Thornton Grammar School in Bradford. At age 11, she began performing as a child actor on radio programs and later worked as an assistant stage manager at a provincial theatre. For other uses, see Coventry (disambiguation). ... A detailed map Stratford-upon-Avon Kenilworth Castle Warwickshire (pronounced // or //) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ... Née redirects here. ... For other uses, see Bradford (disambiguation). ...

Film career

After training at RADA, Whitelaw made her stage debut at age 18 in London 1950. She made her film debut in "The Sleeping Tiger" (1954), followed by roles in Carve Her Name With Pride (1958) and Hell is a City (1959). Whitelaw soon became a regular in British films of the 1950s and early 1960s. In her early film work she specialized in blousy blondes and secretaries, but her dramatic range began to emerge by the late 1960s. She starred alongside Albert Finney in Charlie Bubbles (1967), a performance which won her a BAFTA award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She would win her second BAFTA as the sensuous mother of college student, Hayley Mills in the disturbing psychological study Twisted Nerve (1969). She continued to add memorable roles to notable films including Leo the Last (1970), Gumshoe (1971), and the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Frenzy (1972). Rada is the term for council or assembly borrowed by Polish from Middle High German Rat (council) and later passed into Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Carve Her Name with Pride is a 1958 British motion picture drama. ... Hell Is a City is a 1960 British film set in Manchester, United Kingdom. ... Albert Finney (born May 9, 1936 in Salford, Lancashire, England) is a five-time Academy Award-nominated English actor of Irish descent. ... Charlie Bubbles is the title of a British film of 1967 starring Billie Whitelaw and Albert Finney, and also featuring a very young Liza Minnelli, in her first film role. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born April 18, 1946) is an English actress. ... Twisted Nerve is a 1968 film about a disturbed young man, Martin, whose mother treats him like a small boy. ... Leo The Last is a 1969 film directed by John Boorman, based on the play The Prince by George Tabori, starring Marcello Mastroianni and Billie Whitelaw. ... Gumshoe is a 1972 film, and was the directorial debut of British director Stephen Frears. ... Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 â€“ April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ... For other uses, see Frenzy (disambiguation). ...

Whitelaw gained international acclaim for her chilling role as Mrs. Baylock, the evil guardian of the demon child Damien in The Omen (1976). Her performance was considered one of the most memorable of the film, winning her the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress. Other notable films included the hopelessly naive Mrs. Hall in Maurice (1987), one of two sisters, with Joan Plowright, struggling to survive in war-time Liverpool in The Dressmaker (1988), the fiercely domineering and protective mother of psychopathic twin murderers in The Krays (1990), a performance that earned her a BAFTA nomination, and the blind laundress in Quills (2000). She returned to film, in a comedic turn, as one of the village residents in Hot Fuzz (2007). According to Simon Pegg, his wife accidentally referred to her as "Willie Bitelaw". This does not cite any references or sources. ... Established in 1973, this film award is given to outstanding achievement in British film by the British newspaper Evening Standard. ... Maurice is a 1987 film based on the novel of the same title by E. M. Forster. ... Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier DBE, née Plowright (born October 28, 1929), known professionally as Dame Joan Plowright is a British actress and widow of Laurence Olivier. ... The Krays is a 1990 crime film based on the lives of the East End gangsters the Kray twins. ... Quills is a 2000 period drama directed by Philip Kaufman and adapted from the Obie award-winning play by Doug Wright, who also wrote the original screenplay. ... Not to be confused with Hot Fuss. ... Simon John Pegg (born 14 February 1970) is an English comedian, writer and film and television actor. ...

Samuel Beckett

In 1963, Billie Whitelaw met the famed Irish playwright Samuel Beckett. She and Beckett enjoyed an intense professional relationship until his death in 1989. He wrote many of his more experimental plays especially for her, referring to Whitelaw as "A Perfect Actress". Whitelaw became Beckett's muse, as he created, reworked and revised each play while she physically, at times to the point of total exhaustion, acted out each movement. She would explain in lectures on how "He used me as a piece of plaster he was molding until he got just the right shape".^[2] They collaborated and performed plays such as Play, Eh Joe, Krapp's Last Tape, Happy Days, Not I, Footfalls and Rockaby for both stage and screen. Although other actresses have attempted Beckett's plays, Whitelaw remains the foremost interpreter of the man and his work. Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish dramatist, novelist and poet. ... Play is a play by Samuel Beckett. ... Eh Joe is a one-act, thirty-minute play written by Samuel Beckett. ... Krapps Last Tape and Embers. ... The first English edition of Happy Days. ... Not I is a short one-woman play by Samuel Beckett. ... Footfalls is a play by Samuel Beckett. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

Television career

Whitelaw has also appeared frequently on television and won acclaim for her work. She won a BAFTA award as Best Actress for her performance in "The Sextet" (1972), the BBC adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Wessex Tales (1973), A Tale of Two Cities (1980), A Murder of Quality (1991), Jane Eyre (1996), Merlin (1998), and A Dinner of Herbs (2000). For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Thomas Hardy redirects here. ... The novel Wessex tales was written in 1888 by the author, poet, and novelist Thomas Hardy the novel is not one tale but six, these are, The withered Arm, The Sons Veto, Tony Kytes, the arch deceiver, Absent-mindedness in a Parish Choir, The Melancholy Hussar of the German... For other uses, see A Tale of Two Cities (disambiguation). ... A Murder of Quality is the second novel by John le Carré. It follows George Smiley, the most famous of le Carrés recurring characters. ... Charlotte Brontës novel Jane Eyre (1847) has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations. ... Merlin is a 3 hour made-for-television movie released in 1998 that retells the famous legend of King Arthur from the perspective of the wizard Merlin. ...

Personal life

Married first to the actor Peter Vaughan, whom she divorced, Whitelaw later married writer and drama critic Robert Muller with whom she had a son. Her autobiography, Billie Whitelaw... Who He?, was published by St. Martin's Press (published in 1996). Whitelaw currently lives in Hampstead, London and continues to work on stage, films and television. She regularly gives lectures on the Beckettian technique. Peter Vaughan (born April 4, 1923) is an English character actor, known for many supporting roles in a variety of British film and television productions. ... Robert Muller (born 1923 in Belgium) is an employee of the United Nations, whose ideas about world government, world peace and spirituality led to the increased representation of religions in the UN, including New Age cults and traditional cults. ... Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ... Headquartered in the legendary Flatiron Building in New York City, St. ... For other places with the same name, see Hampstead (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Her son, who had lent Edgar Wright the use of his flat for Shaun of the Dead, convinced his mother to come out of retirement and accept the role of Joyce Cooper in Hot Fuzz.^[3] Edgar Wright at Comic Con in San Diego Edgar Wright (born 18 April 1974 in Poole, Dorset) is an English film and television director. ... Shaun of the Dead is a zombie-themed romantic comedy (or rom zom com as it dubs itself) or zombie comedy released in 2004. ... Not to be confused with Hot Fuss. ...

A photo of her is on the cover of the Smiths' double A-side 'William, It Was Really Nothing/How Soon Is Now?'. Whitelaw also had an affair with actor Albert Finney while he was married to Jane Wenham.^{[citation needed]} William, It Was Really Nothing is a song by British band The Smiths. ... Albert Finney (born May 9, 1936 in Salford, Lancashire, England) is a five-time Academy Award-nominated English actor of Irish descent. ... Title page of a book with Francis Hutchesons essay dismissing charges against Jane Wenham. ...

Filmography

• Hot Fuzz (2007)
• The Krays (1990)
• Terror in the Aisles (1984)
• Camille (1984) (TV)
• The Dark Crystal (1982) (voice)
• Private Schulz (1980)
• The Water Babies (1978)
• The Omen (1976)
• Night Watch (1973)
• The Adding Machine (1969)
• Twisted Nerve (1968)
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (TV)
• Payroll (1961)
• Make Mine Mink (1960)
• No Love for Johnnie (1960)
• Breakout (1959)
• Dixon of Dock Green (1955) (TV)

Not to be confused with Hot Fuss. ... The Krays is a 1990 crime film based on the lives of the East End gangsters the Kray twins. ... Terror in the Aisles is a 1984 horror film documentary featuring clips from Friday the 13th, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween, Halloween II, Alien, John Carpenters The Thing, The Shining, etc. ... Camille is a 1984 television film based on the 1852 novel and play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils. ... The Dark Crystal is a 1982 fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. ... A BBC Television comedy drama starring Michael Elphick in the title role and Ian Richardson playing various parts. ... The Water Babies is a 1978 movie based on the book The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Night Watch is a 1973 movie directed by Brian G. Hutton. ... The Adding Machine was a 1923 play by Elmer Rice, and is generally considered to be the first American Expressionist play. ... Twisted Nerve is a 1968 film about a disturbed young man, Martin, whose mother treats him like a small boy. ... The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. ... Peter Finch starred in the film No Love for Johnnie based on the book by the Member of parliament Mr Wilfred Fienburgh. ... Dixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series, which ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. ... Winners of the BAFTA Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. ... Charlie Bubbles is the title of a British film of 1967 starring Billie Whitelaw and Albert Finney, and also featuring a very young Liza Minnelli, in her first film role. ... Dame Celia Johnson (1908-1982) was an English actress, famous for her role in the 1945 film, Brief Encounter, opposite Trevor Howard. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

References

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External links

• Billie Whitelaw at the Internet Movie Database
• Video of Billie Whitelaw performing Beckett's Not I