Susannah York
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| Susannah York | |
| Born | Susannah Yolande Fletcher January 9, 1939 Chelsea, London, England |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1959 - present |
| Spouse(s) | Michael Wells (1960-1976) |
Susannah York (born 9 January 1939[1]) is an English film, stage and television actress.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
York was born as Susannah Yolande Fletcher in London. York studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[2]
[edit] Career
[edit] Film
York is probably best known for her part as Sophie Weston opposite Albert Finney in the 1963 Oscar winning Best Film Tom Jones. She is known to younger audiences for playing Superman's mother Lara on the doomed planet Krypton in Superman (1978) and its sequels, Superman II (1980) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).
Her film career began in 1960. York appeared in Tunes of Glory, co-starring with Alec Guinness and John Mills. After Tom Jones, she appeared in A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Killing of Sister George (1968) and Battle of Britain (1969).
York was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). She famously snubbed the Academy when, regarding her nomination, she declared it offended her to be nominated without being asked. She did not attend the ceremony and lost to Goldie Hawn for her role in Cactus Flower.
In 1972 she won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Images.
[edit] Writing
Her writing career is less well-known. In the 1970s she wrote two children's fantasy novels, In Search of Unicorns (1973), revised (1984) which was excerpted in the film Images, and Lark's Castle (1976, revised 1986).
She was a guest, along with Lord (formerly David} Puttnam on the BBC Radio 4 documentary I Had The Misery Thursday, a tribute programme to former Hollywood icon Montgomery Clift, which was aired in 1985, on the 20th anniversary of the actor's death. York co-starred with him in Freud, John Huston's 1963 filmed biography of the legendary psycho-analyst. The programme was written by Terence Pettigrew, who also presented it. The producer was Harry Thompson who later found fame as the originator and long-time producer of BBC TV's award-winning Have I Got News For You.
[edit] Stage
In 1978, York appeared on stage at the New End Theater in London in The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs with Lucinda Childs, directed by French director Simone Benmussa.
Next year, she appeared in Paris, speaking French in a play by Henry James: Appearances, with Sami Frey. The play was again directed by Simone Benmussa.
In the 80's, again with Benmussa, York played in For no good Reason, an adaptation of George Moore's short story, with Susan Hampshire.
In 2007, she appeared in the UK tour of The Wings of the Dove, and continued performing her internationally acclaimed solo show, The Loves of Shakespeare's Women. Also in 2007, she guest starred in the Doctor Who audio play Valhalla.
In 2008 she played the part of Nelly in an adaptation by April De Angelis of Wuthering Heights.
York, according to Italian symphonic metal band Rhapsody of Fire website (previously known as Rhapsody), has been recruited for a narrated part on the band's next full-length album Triumph or Agony, which will also include Christopher Lee to return as the Wizard King.
[edit] Personal life
In 1960, York married Michael Wells, with whom she has two children, Orlando and Sasha. They divorced in 1976. In the 1984 TV adaptation of A Christmas Carol, she played Mrs. Cratchit and both of her children co-starred as Cratchit offspring. Her son, Orlando Wells, starred in the Channel 4 teen drama, As If. Wells gave York her first grandchild, Rafferty, in 2007.
Politically, she is left wing and has publicly supported Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli dissident who revealed Israel's nuclear weapons programme. While performing The Loves of Shakespeare's Women at the Cameri Theatre in Tel Aviv in June 2007, York dedicated the performance to Vanunu, evoking both cheers and jeers from the audience.
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | There Was a Crooked Man | Ellen | |
| Tunes of Glory | Morag Sinclair | ||
| 1961 | The Greengage Summer | Joss Grey | |
| 1962 | Freud | Cecily Koertner | |
| 1963 | Tom Jones | Sophie Western | |
| 1964 | The 7th Dawn | Candace Trumpey | |
| Scene Nun, Take One | The Actress | ||
| 1965 | Sands of the Kalahari | Grace Munkton | |
| Scruggs | Susan | ||
| 1966 | The Fall of the House of Usher (TV) | Madeleine Usher | |
| Kaleidoscope | Angel McGinnis | ||
| A Man for All Seasons | Margaret More | ||
| 1968 | Sebastian | Rebecca Howard | |
| Duffy | Segolene | ||
| The Killing of Sister George | Alice 'Childie' McNaught | ||
| 1969 | Oh! What a Lovely War | Eleanor | |
| Battle of Britain | Section Officer Maggie Harvey | ||
| Lock Up Your Daughters | Hilaret | ||
| They Shoot Horses, Don't They? | Alice | Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| 1970 | Jane Eyre (1970 television) | Jane Eyre | |
| Country Dance | Hilary Dow | ||
| 1971 | Happy Birthday, Wanda June | Penelope Ryan | |
| 1972 | Zee and Co. | Stella | |
| Images | Cathryn | ||
| 1974 | Gold | Terry Steyner | |
| The Maids | Claire | ||
| 1975 | Conduct Unbecoming | Mrs. Marjorie Scarlett | |
| That Lucky Touch | Julia Richardson | ||
| 1976 | Sky Riders | Ellen Bracken | |
| Eliza Fraser | Eliza Fraser | ||
| 1978 | The Shout | Rachel Fielding | |
| The Silent Partner | Julie Carver | ||
| Superman | Lara | ||
| 1979 | "Prince Regent"(mini) TV Series | Mrs. Fitzherbert | |
| The Golden Gate Murders(TV) | Sister Benecia | ||
| 1980 | Long Shot | An Actress | |
| The Awakening | Jane Turner | ||
| Superman II | Lara | ||
| Loophole | Dinah Booker | ||
| Late Flowering Love | |||
| Falling in Love Again | Sue Lewis | ||
| 1981 | Second Chance (TV Series) | Kate Hurst | |
| 1982 | We'll Meet Again(TV Series) | Helen Dereham | |
| Alicja | Queenie | ||
| 1983 | Yellowbeard | Lady Churchill | |
| Nelly's Version(TV) | Narrator (voice) | ||
| 1984 | A Christmas Carol(TV) | Mrs. Cratchit | |
| 1985 | Star Quality (TV) | Lorraine Barry | |
| Daemon(TV) | |||
| Prettykill | Toni | ||
| 1987 | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace | Lara (voice) | |
| Mio min Mio | Seamstress | ||
| Barbablú, Barbablú | |||
| 1988 | A Summer Story | Mrs. Narracombe | |
| Just Ask for Diamond | Lauren Bacardi | ||
| 1989 | Melancholia | Catherine Lanham Franck | |
| After the War(mini) TV Series | Irene Jameson | ||
| Quattro piccole donne (TV) | |||
| 1990 | The Man from the PVU(TV) | Amy Wallace | |
| En Håndfull tid | Susanne Walker | ||
| Fate | |||
| 1991 | Devices and Desires(mini) TV Series | Meg Dennison | |
| Trainer TV Series | Rachel Ware | ||
| 1992 | Illusions(TV) | Dr. Sinclair | |
| 1993 | Piccolo grande amore | Queen Christina | |
| 1997 | Loop | Olivia | |
| Dark Blue Perfume (TV) | Liz | ||
| 1998 | So This Is Romance? | Mike's Mum | |
| 2000 | St. Patrick: The Irish Legend(TV) | Concessa | |
| Jean | Jean | ||
| 2002 | The Book of Eve | ||
| 2003 | Visitors | Carolyn Perry | |
| 2004 | Love Is a Survivor | Present Day Roma | |
| 2006 | The Gigolos | Tessa | |
| 2007 | Maude | Maude | |
| 2008 | Franklyn | Margaret |
[edit] References
- ^ Quinlan, David. Quinlan's Film Stars: Fifth Edition London: Batsford Ltd. (2000) ISBN 0713486511
- ^ Susannah York Biography - Yahoo! Movies
[edit] External links
- Susannah York at the Internet Movie Database
- Susannah York at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
