Anna Massey

Biography

Anna Massey was an English actress who, without formal drama training, began on stage in 1955 in The Reluctant Debutante and soon repeated the role in London and New York. She became known for mystery thrillers, playing potential victims or women entangled with suspected killers in Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1960) and Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972), and she appeared in Gideon's Day (1958), Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965), and The Vault of Horror (1973). On television she won a BAFTA for Hotel du Lac (1986), and she took the Laurence Olivier Award for her supporting role in The Importance of Being Earnest in 1982, with a further nomination for Summer. She performed over a hundred character parts across British film and television, including The Pallisers and The Mayor of Casterbridge, and narrated the radio history This Sceptred Isle. Critics noted her distinctive voice and stillness. She died in 2011.

73years old at death

Born August 11, 1937Thakeham
Died July 3, 2011London
Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
Anna Raymond Massey (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 24
Career span: 50 years1958 to 2008

Genres

Drama67%, 16 films
Comedy33%, 8 films
Romance33%, 8 films
Thriller33%, 8 films
Mystery21%, 5 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

Big break
Massey's first London appearance in The Reluctant Debutante in May 1955 made her suddenly famous, and she then left the London cast to repeat the performance in New York in October 1956.
A role that slipped away
In 1972 Massey played Babs, a barmaid, in Alfred Hitchcock's film Frenzy. She said she auditioned for the smaller role of the secretary Monica, which went to Jean Marsh.
Behind the award
In 1987 Massey won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for Hotel du Lac. She had bought the TV rights two years before, just weeks prior to the novel taking the Booker Prize.
Behind the camera
Massey worked with Imelda Staunton to create the BBC radio show Daunt and Dervish, in which she also played the character Josephine Daunt.
Getting ready for a role
Massey marked up her scripts with five different colored pens to note breaths, pauses and scene development, highlighting repeated phrases in the same color.

Anna Massey movies on Netflix

Affinity2008IMDb rating 6.2as Miss Haxby
The Oxford Murders2008IMDb rating 6.0as Mrs. Eagleton
Mrs Palfrey at The Claremont2005IMDb rating 7.6as Mrs Arbuthnot
The Machinist2004IMDb rating 7.6as Mrs. Shrike
Possession2002IMDb rating 6.3as Lady Bailey
The Importance of Being Earnest2002IMDb rating 6.8as Miss Prism
Dark Blue World2001IMDb rating 7.1as English Teacher
Angels and Insects1995IMDb rating 6.8as Miss Mead
Haunted1995IMDb rating 6.2as Nanny Tess Webb
The Grotesque1995IMDb rating 5.5as Mrs. Giblet
Impromptu1991IMDb rating 6.8as George Sand's Mother
Mountains of the Moon1990IMDb rating 7.1as Mrs. Arundell
Killing Dad (Or How to Love Your Mother)1989IMDb rating 4.6as Edith
The Tall Guy1989IMDb rating 6.2as Mary
A Hazard of Hearts1987IMDb rating 6.7as Eudora
Another Country1984IMDb rating 6.9as Imogen Bennett
The Little Drummer Girl1984IMDb rating 6.1as Chairlady
A Little Romance1979IMDb rating 7.4as Ms. Siegel
A Doll's House1973IMDb rating 6.4as Kristine Linde
The Vault of Horror1973IMDb rating 6.6as Donna (segment 1 "Midnight Mess")
Frenzy1972IMDb rating 7.4as Babs Milligan
The Looking Glass War1970IMDb rating 5.8as Avery's Wife
Bunny Lake Is Missing1965IMDb rating 7.3as Elvira Smollett
Gideon's Day1958IMDb rating 6.6as Sally Gideon

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

The Machinist2004 Drama, Thrilleras Mrs. Shrike
IMDb rating 7.6447K votes
Frenzy1972 Thrilleras Babs Milligan
IMDb rating 7.454K votes
The Vault of Horror1973as Donna (segment 1 "Midnight Mess")
IMDb rating 6.67.2K votes
The Importance of Being Earnest2002as Miss Prism
IMDb rating 6.826K votes
Bunny Lake Is Missing1965as Elvira Smollett
IMDb rating 7.311K votes
The Oxford Murders2008as Mrs. Eagleton
IMDb rating 6.032K votes
Haunted1995as Nanny Tess Webb
IMDb rating 6.28.2K votes
Mrs Palfrey at The Claremont2005as Mrs Arbuthnot
IMDb rating 7.64.8K votes

Most often with

George Roy Hill directed two of these films. Denholm Elliott appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Denholm Elliott

Anthony Hopkins

Richard E. Grant

Colin Firth

Emma Thompson

Laurence Olivier

George Roy HillDirector, 2 films

Films together

Denholm Elliott3 films together, 1973 to 1989
Denholm Elliott's page
- Killing Dad (Or How to Love Your Mother)1989IMDb rating 4.6Massey as EdithElliott as Nathy
- A Doll's House1973IMDb rating 6.4Massey as Kristine LindeElliott as Krogstad
- The Vault of Horror1973IMDb rating 6.6Massey as Donna (segment 1 "Midnight Mess")Elliott as Diltant (segment 5 "Drawn and Quartered")
Anthony Hopkins2 films together, 1970 to 1973
Anthony Hopkins's page
- A Doll's House1973IMDb rating 6.4Massey as Kristine LindeHopkins as Torvald Helmer
- The Looking Glass War1970IMDb rating 5.8Massey as Avery's WifeHopkins as John Avery
Richard E. Grant2 films together, 1989 to 1990
Richard E. Grant's page
- Mountains of the Moon1990IMDb rating 7.1Massey as Mrs. ArundellGrant as Larry Oliphant
- Killing Dad (Or How to Love Your Mother)1989IMDb rating 4.6Massey as EdithGrant as Berg
Colin Firth2 films together, 1984 to 2002
Colin Firth's page
- The Importance of Being Earnest2002IMDb rating 6.8Massey as Miss PrismFirth as Jack
- Another Country1984IMDb rating 6.9Massey as Imogen BennettFirth as Tommy Judd
Emma Thompson2 films together, 1989 to 1991
Emma Thompson's page
- Impromptu1991IMDb rating 6.8Massey as George Sand's MotherThompson as Duchess D'Antan
- The Tall Guy1989IMDb rating 6.2Massey as MaryThompson as Kate
Laurence Olivier2 films together, 1965 to 1979
Laurence Olivier's page
- A Little Romance1979IMDb rating 7.4Massey as Ms. SiegelOlivier as Julius Edmond Santorin
- Bunny Lake Is Missing1965IMDb rating 7.3Massey as Elvira SmollettOlivier as Superintendent Newhouse
George Roy HillDirector, 2 films, 1979 to 1984
All films by George Roy Hill
- The Little Drummer Girl1984IMDb rating 6.1Massey as Chairlady
- A Little Romance1979IMDb rating 7.4Massey as Ms. Siegel
Also two films together11 more actors
- Lena HeadeyPossession (2002) and The Grotesque (1995)
- Jim CarterThe Oxford Murders (2008) and The Grotesque (1995)
- Ralph RichardsonA Doll's House (1973) and The Looking Glass War (1970)
- Rupert EverettThe Importance of Being Earnest (2002) and Another Country (1984)
- Edward FoxThe Importance of Being Earnest (2002) and A Hazard of Hearts (1987)
- Annette BadlandAngels and Insects (1995) and The Grotesque (1995)
- Jimmy GardnerMountains of the Moon (1990) and Frenzy (1972)
- John SavidentImpromptu (1991) and Mountains of the Moon (1990)
- Cyril ShapsThe Importance of Being Earnest (2002) and The Looking Glass War (1970)
- Zoë TapperAffinity (2008) and Mrs Palfrey at The Claremont (2005)
- Robert AddieA Hazard of Hearts (1987) and Another Country (1984)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.