Imogen Hassall
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| Imogen Hassall | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 August 1942 Woking, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 16 November 1980 (aged 38) Wimbledon, London, England, United Kingdom |
| Other names | Imogen Hassell |
| Spouse | Kenneth Ives Andrew Knox (January 1979 - May 1979) |
Imogen Hassall (25 August 1942 – 16 November 1980) was an English actress who appeared in 33 films during the 1960s and 1970s.
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[edit] Early life
Named after Shakespeare's Cymbeline heroine, she was born in Woking, Surrey, to a family of artists and business people. Her grandfather, John Hassall, and her aunt, Joan Hassall, worked as illustrators, while her father, Christopher Hassall, was a poet and lyricist. Her godfather was the composer Ivor Novello.
[edit] Career
Hassall was a pupil at the Royal Ballet School, White Lodge, Richmond Park from 1952-1958. After having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, she appeared in 1960s British TV shows such as The Saint and The Avengers. In her first significant role she played Tara in The Long Duel (1967); she gained fame as a sexy woman in When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970).
[edit] Personal life
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Hassall married twice and her private life was a regular subject of interest in tabloid newspapers.
She was known for playing sexy, scantily-clad characters in film and on TV. This, and the revealing outfits she sometimes wore in her private life, resulted in her being publicly referred to as "the Countess of Cleavage".
She was found dead in her Wimbledon home on the morning of 16 November 1980 when she failed to meet a friend, actress Suzanna Leigh, with whom she was due to go on holiday that day. She had committed suicide by overdosing on Tuinal tablets.
[edit] Selected filmography
- The Early Bird (1965)
- Press for Time (Uncredited, 1966)
- The Long Duel (1967)
- Mummy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1969)
- When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)
- Carry On Loving (1970)
- Incense for the Damned (1970)
- The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970)
- Toomorrow (1970)
- El Condor (1970)
- Take a Girl Like You (1971)
- Images (1972)
- White Cargo (1974)
- License to Love and Kill (1979)
[edit] Television
- The Sentimental Agent (1 episode, 1963)
- The Saint (3 episodes, 1964–1968)
- No Hiding Place (1 episode, 1965)
- Theatre 625 (1 episode, 1967)
- The Avengers (1 episode, 1967)
- Champion House (1 episode, 1967)
- The Wednesday Play (1 episode, 1967)
- Play of the Month (1 episode, 1967)
- The Troubleshooters (1 episode, 1967)
- The Champions (1 episode, 1968)
- Softly, Softly (1 episode, 1970)
- The Persuaders! (1 episode, 1972)
- Jason King (1 episode, 1972)
[edit] References
- Leissner, D. (2002). Tuesday's Child: The Life and Death of Imogen Hassall. Luminary Press, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. ISBN 1-887664-47-5.
[edit] External links
- Imogen Hassall at the Internet Movie Database
- Imogen Hassall at HorrorStars
- Imogen Hassall at Find a Grave
