Billie Whitelaw
(1932 - )She is a very striking looking actress and can give you the "willies" or make you feel calm, or even enamored of her on film. I most remember her from her absolutely chilling role in "The Omen" as a guardian of the young child Devil, Damian. She had blonde, sandy colored hair, fine chiseled features and intense eyes with a sensuous air about her. She was most often cast as strong-willed women, sometimes good, sometimes evil. She was born on June 6, 1932 in Coventry, England and grew up in a disadvantaged neighborhood. She attended the Thornton Grammar School in Bradford, England. At age 11 she began performing as a child actor on radio programs. Later she worked as an assistant stage manager at a provincial theatre and at age 22 she made her London stage debut. She later joined England's National Theatre Company, in its infancy, and appeared at the famed Old Vic. She became adept at the plays of Samuel Beckett. She later moved to the Royal Shakespeare Company as one of Britain's great stage actresses. Although she was primarily a stage actress, she eventually made her film debut fortunately enough for the film fans of the world. Her films include: "The Fake" (1953) as a Waitress, her film debut; "The Sleeping Tiger" (1954) as Secretary; "Small Hotel" (1957) as Caroline Mallet; "Miracle in Soho" (1957) as Maggie; "Carve Her Name with Pride" (1958) as Winnie; "Gideon's Day" (1958) as Christine; "Breakout" (1959) as Rose Munro; "Bobbikins" (1960) as Lydia; "Mr. Topaze" (1961) as Ernestine; "Charlie Bubbles" (1968) with Albert Finney & Liza Minnelli, as Lydia Bubbles, for which she won the BFA British Academy Award; "Start the Revolution Without Me" (1970) as Queen Marie; "Leo the Last" (1970) as Margaret; "Eagle in a Cage" (1971) as Madame Bertrand; Hitchcock's "Frenzy" (1970) as Hetty Porter; "Night Watch" (1973) as Sarah Cooke; my favorite of her roles "The Omen" (1976) as Mrs. Baylock; "Leopard in the Snow" (1978) as Isabel James; "Water Babies" (1978) as Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby; Jim Henson's "The Dark Crystal" (1982) as Voice of Aughra; "Slayground" (1984) as Madge; "The Chain" (1985) as Mrs. Andreos; "Maurice" (1987) as Mrs. Hall; "The Dressmaker" (1988) as Margo; "The Krays" (1990) as Violet Kray, in a critically acclaimed role; "Jane Eyre" (1996) as Grace Pool, another of my favorite of her roles; "The Lost Son" (1999) as Mrs. Spitz and "The Last of the Blonde Bombshells" (2000) as Evelyn. On TV she was a regular on "Dixon of Dock Green" (1955) as Mary Crawford; "Time Out for Peggy" (1958) as Peggy Spencer; "Napoleon and Love" (1974) a mini-series, as Josephine; "Private Schultz" (1981) a mini-series, as Bertha Fryer; "Imaginary Friends" (1987) a mini-series, as Aunt Elsie; "Firm Friends" (1992) a mini-series, as Rose Guttridge and "Born to Run" (1997) as Lili Fitch. She appeared in some top-notch TV movies including: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1968); "A Tale of Two Cities" (1980) as Mrs. Defarge, the perfect role for her; "The Secret Garden" (1987) as Mrs. Medlock and "Merlin" (1998) as Auntie Ambrosia. She has also guested on the TV series: "Space: 1999." She married and divorced Peter Vaughan and is a member of The Society of Friends. She continues to work on stage, films and television.
From Great Character Actors, Page 8.
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