Glynis Johns
| Glynis Johns | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 October 1923 Pretoria, South Africa |
| Occupation | Actress, dancer, pianist, singer |
| Years active | 1935–1999 |
| Spouse | Anthony Forwood (m. 1942-1948, divorced); 1 child David Foster (m. 1952, divorced) Cecil Henderson (m. 1960-1962, divorced) Elliott Arnold (m. 1964, divorced) |
| Children | Gareth Forwood (1945–2007 |
Glynis Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born Welsh stage and film actress, dancer, pianist and singer (notably of "Send in the Clowns", which she originated in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music and "Sister Suffragette" which was written for her for Walt Disney's musical motion picture, Mary Poppins written by the Sherman Brothers).
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[edit] Early life
Johns was born in Pretoria, South Africa, the daughter of Alys Maude (née Steele-Payne), a pianist, and Mervyn Johns (1899–1992), the British stage and film actor.[1] Her roots are in West Wales, and she was born in Pretoria while her parents were performing on tour there.
[edit] Career
Johns made her first stage appearance in Buckie's Bears as a child ballerina at the Garrick Theatre in 1935. She made her 1938 film debut in the movie version of Winifred Holtby's novel, South Riding. In 1944, she appeared with her father in Halfway House, and in 1948 starred as a mermaid in Miranda (Johns later reprised the role in a 1954 sequel, Mad About Men). In 1952, she co-starred in the movie version of Arnold Bennett's novel The Card.
She made a successful transition to Hollywood, appearing in Personal Affair (1953) starring Gene Tierney and in The Court Jester (1956) as Danny Kaye's love interest. The following year, she starred in the especially sad Christmas film All Mine to Give. Johns received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the 1960 film The Sundowners. One of her best known film roles was that of Winifred Banks, the children's mother, a suffragette, in Mary Poppins (1964). Her last film appearance was in the 1999 film Superstar.[citation needed]
Johns also appeared on television and on stage, most memorably in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's musical A Little Night Music. The song "Send in the Clowns" was reportedly written with her in mind. In 1973, she won a Tony award for her role in the musical. She later appeared in London in Cause Célèbre by Terence Rattigan. She played opposite Rex Harrison in his final acting role in a Broadway revival of W. Somerset Maugham's play The Circle in 1990. (Harrison's death in his New York apartment from cancer ended the show's run.) Johns starred in the premiere of Horton Foote's A Coffin in Egypt in 1998 at the Bay Street Theatre as Myrtle Bledsoe.[citation needed]
In the 1962-1963 television season, Johns guest starred in the CBS anthology series The Lloyd Bridges Show. In the fall of 1963, she and Keith Andes starred as a married couple in her eponymous CBS television series Glynis, in which she appears as a mystery writer, and Andes plays a criminal defense attorney. The program was cancelled after thirteen episodes.
From 1988-1989, Johns played Trudie Pepper, a senior citizen living in an Arizona retirement community in the sitcom, Coming Of Age, opposite Alan Young, Phyllis Newman and Paul Dooley; the show lasted one season on CBS.
[edit] Personal life
Johns has been married four times. Her first husband was Anthony Forwood (1942–1948), with whom she had her only child, Gareth Forwood (1945–2007), an actor.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Theatre (selected)
- 1936-36 St Helena, Old Vic
- 1937 Judgement Day, Embassy and Strand
- 1938 Quiet Wedding, Wyndham’s
- 1941 Quiet Weekend, Wyndham’s
- 1943 Peter Pan (Peter), Cambridge Theatre
- 1950 Fools Rush In, Fortune
- 1950 The Way Things Go, Phœnix
- 1952 Gertie (title role), Broadway
- 1956 Major Barbara (title role), Broadway
- 1963 Too True to Be Good, Broadway
- 1966 The King’s Mare, Garrick
- 1969-70 A Talent to Amuse, Phoenix Theatre
- 1969-70 Come As You Are, New Theatre
- 1971-72 Marquise, The Hippodrome, Bristol
- 1973 A Little Night Music (Tony Award for best musical actress), Broadway
- 1975 Ring Round the Moon, Los Angeles
- 1976 13 Rue de l’Amour, Phœnix
- 1978 Cause Celebre (Best Actress Award, Variety Club), Her Majesty's Theatre
- 1980-81 Hay Fever, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
- 1980-90 The Boy Friend, Toronto
- 1989-90 The Circle, Broadway
- 1998 A Coffin in Egypt, Bay Street Theatre
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Glynis Johns at the Internet Broadway Database
- Glynis Johns at the Internet Movie Database
- Glynis Johns images
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