Sylvia Syms
Biography
Sylvia Syms was an English actress of stage and screen, born in Woolwich, London. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduated in 1954 and started out in repertory theater in Eastbourne and Bath before making her West End debut in The Apple Cart. A leading role in the 1955 television play The Romantic Young Lady led to a contract with Associated British and to the film My Teenage Daughter. She was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957) and won acclaim for drama, including Ice Cold in Alex (1958), Victim (1961) and The Tamarind Seed (1974), for which she received a British Film Academy nomination. She later took supporting parts in film and television, playing Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in The Queen (2006) and dressmaker Olive Woodhouse in EastEnders from 2007 to 2010, and narrated the BBC Two series Talking Pictures from 2013 to 2019.
89years old at death
- Born Woolwich
- Died Denville Hall
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- Sylvia May Laura Syms (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 19
- Career span
- 51 years1957 to 2008
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First role
Syms made her West End debut in The Apple Cart with Noel Coward, a stage job that came after she began her career in repertory theater in Eastbourne and Bath.
Early training
Syms chose to become an actress and went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she graduated in 1954. She later sat on RADA's council.
Big break
In 1955, Syms had a leading part in the TV play The Romantic Young Lady. That brought two offers, one to make the film My Teenage Daughter for Herbert Wilcox and one for a long-term contract with Associated British, and she accepted both.
Beyond film
Syms took a new path in 1970, appearing as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing for the Prospect Theatre Company. Tony Richardson directed the Shakespeare production, with Julian Glover as Benedick, and it began at the Edinburgh International Festival before touring the United Kingdom.
Sylvia Syms movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
J. Lee Thompson directed two of these films. Anthony Quayle appears in four 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.
Films together
Anthony Quayle's page
Charlotte Rampling's page
John Mills's page
Anna Chancellor's page
Richard Todd's page
Hilton Edwards's page
All films by J. Lee Thompson
Also two films together1 more actor
- Kate O'MaraThe Tamarind Seed (1974) and The Desperados (1969)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Sylvia Syms's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$276 million
9 of the 19 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 19 films: 9 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 1 never in cinemas; 8 figure not found.
- 9Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 1Never in cinemas
- 8Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$123M44.8% of the total
- 2$51M18.4% of the total
- 3$44M15.9% of the total
- 4$38M13.8% of the total
- 5$8.0M2.9% of the total
- 6$7.3M2.6% of the total
- 7$3.7M1.3% of the total
- 8$491K0.2% of the total
$216,373from the other 1 film with a worldwide figure, 0% of the total
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 2007 | Officer of the Order of the British Empire | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.