Dilys Laye
Biography
Dilys Laye was an English actress and singer whose comedy roles kept her on the West End and Broadway stage for more than fifty years, from 1951 onward. Born in London, she trained at the Aida Foster School and made her stage debut in 1948, later spending a long Broadway run in the musical The Boy Friend from 1954. On screen she appeared in four Carry On films, among them Carry On Spying (1964) and Carry On Camping (1969), took a part in Doctor at Large (1957) and had a cameo in Charlie Chaplin's A Countess from Hong Kong (1967). She worked often with the playwright Peter Barnes from 1973, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company took roles in Shakespeare, Wilde and Brecht. Later she took musical stage roles, including works by Gilbert and Sullivan, Sondheim and Lloyd Webber. In 2004 a revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses brought her the Clarence Derwent Award as best supporting actress.
74years old at death
- Born Muswell Hill
- Died London
- Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
- Dilys Lay (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 4
- Career span
- 12 years1957 to 1969
Every film, newest first
- 1969Carry on CampingIMDb rating 6.6
- 1967A Countess from Hong KongIMDb rating 6.0
- 1964Carry on SpyingIMDb rating 6.2
- 1957Doctor at LargeIMDb rating 6.1
Genres
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About the name
After her Broadway run ended and she came back to Britain, Laye changed her stage surname by adding an e, and from then on she was billed as Dilys Laye.
Behind the camera
Laye worked on the ITV comedy series Chintz in 1981, taking a role in it and also helping to write it.
Dilys Laye movies on Netflix
Most often with
Gerald Thomas directed two of these films. Five actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Charles Hawtrey's page
Kenneth Williams's page
Barbara Windsor's page
Michael Medwin's page
Judith Furse's page
Gerald ThomasDirector, 2 films, 1964 to 1969
All films by Gerald Thomas
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.