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Virginia McKenna

Virginia McKenna

15 movies on Netflix

Biography

Virginia McKenna is a British actress whose schooling included the Central School of Speech and Drama and who spent six months at Dundee Repertory Theatre before appearing in London's West End. Her early screen work included a small part in The Cruel Sea (1953). She gained the lead in A Town Like Alice (1956), a wartime drama opposite Peter Finch, and won the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress for it. Carve Her Name with Pride (1958) brought another BAFTA nomination, playing Violette Szabo. She is best known for Born Free (1966), as Joy Adamson, which earned a Golden Globe nomination, and for Ring of Bright Water (1969). Other films included The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959), Waterloo (1970) and Swallows and Amazons (1974). On stage, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for The King and I in 1979.

95years old

Turns 96 on June 7in 236 days

Born June 7, 1931Marylebone
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
Also credited as Virginia Anne McKenna

Movie Career

Films: 15
Career span: 63 years1953 to 2016

Genres

Drama67%, 10 films
Comedy27%, 4 films
Adventure20%, 3 films
Family20%, 3 films
War20%, 3 films

First and latest

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First role
Aged 19, Virginia McKenna spent six months at Dundee Repertory Theatre, an early stage job before her West End debut in Penny for a Song.
Big break
Virginia McKenna took the lead role in the wartime drama A Town Like Alice, playing opposite Peter Finch. The movie proved a big box office hit, and her performance earned her the BAFTA Award for Best Actress.

Virginia McKenna movies on Netflix

Ethel & Ernest2016IMDb rating 7.7as Lady of the House (voice)
Golden Years2016IMDb rating 6.2as Martha
Sliding Doors1998IMDb rating 6.7as James's Mother
Staggered1994IMDb rating 5.8as Flora
Holocaust 20001977IMDb rating 5.5as Eva Caine
The Disappearance1977IMDb rating 5.7as Catherine
Swallows and Amazons1974IMDb rating 6.4as Mrs. Walker
Waterloo1970IMDb rating 7.3as Duchess of Richmond
Ring of Bright Water1969IMDb rating 7.1as Mary MacKenzie
Born Free1966IMDb rating 7.2as Joy Adamson
The Wreck of the Mary Deare1959IMDb rating 6.7as Janet Taggart
Carve Her Name with Pride1958IMDb rating 7.2as Violette Szabo
The Smallest Show on Earth1957IMDb rating 6.9as Jean Spenser
A Town Like Alice1956IMDb rating 7.2as Jean Paget
The Cruel Sea1953IMDb rating 7.4as Julie Hallam

Best known for

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

Sliding Doors1998 Comedy, Drama, Fantasyas James's Mother
IMDb rating 6.777K votes
Born Free1966 Adventure, Drama, Familyas Joy Adamson
IMDb rating 7.27.6K votes
Waterloo1970as Duchess of Richmond
IMDb rating 7.315K votes
The Smallest Show on Earth1957as Jean Spenser
IMDb rating 6.92.6K votes
A Town Like Alice1956as Jean Paget
IMDb rating 7.22.2K votes
Carve Her Name with Pride1958as Violette Szabo
IMDb rating 7.22.1K votes
Ethel & Ernest2016as Lady of the Housevoice
IMDb rating 7.74.6K votes
The Wreck of the Mary Deare1959as Janet Taggart
IMDb rating 6.73.2K votes

Most often with

Bill Travers 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.

Bill Travers

Christopher Plummer

Geoffrey Keen

Jack Hawkins

Alexander Knox

Ivo Garrani

Films together

Bill Travers3 films together, 1957 to 1969
Bill Travers's page
- Ring of Bright Water1969IMDb rating 7.1McKenna as Mary MacKenzieTravers as Graham Merrill
- Born Free1966IMDb rating 7.2McKenna as Joy AdamsonTravers as George Adamson
- The Smallest Show on Earth1957IMDb rating 6.9McKenna as Jean SpenserTravers as Matt Spenser
Christopher Plummer2 films together, 1970 to 1977
Christopher Plummer's page
- The Disappearance1977IMDb rating 5.7McKenna as CatherinePlummer as Deverell
- Waterloo1970IMDb rating 7.3McKenna as Duchess of RichmondPlummer as Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
Geoffrey Keen2 films together, 1956 to 1966
Geoffrey Keen's page
- Born Free1966IMDb rating 7.2McKenna as Joy AdamsonKeen as Kendall
- A Town Like Alice1956IMDb rating 7.2McKenna as Jean PagetKeen as Solicitor
Jack Hawkins2 films together, 1953 to 1970
Jack Hawkins's page
- Waterloo1970IMDb rating 7.3McKenna as Duchess of RichmondHawkins as General Sir Thomas Picton
- The Cruel Sea1953IMDb rating 7.4McKenna as Julie HallamHawkins as Ericson
Alexander Knox2 films together, 1959 to 1977
Alexander Knox's page
- Holocaust 20001977IMDb rating 5.5McKenna as Eva CaineKnox as Meyer
- The Wreck of the Mary Deare1959IMDb rating 6.7McKenna as Janet TaggartKnox as Petrie
Ivo Garrani2 films together, 1970 to 1977
Ivo Garrani's page
- Holocaust 20001977IMDb rating 5.5McKenna as Eva CaineGarrani as Prime Minister
- Waterloo1970IMDb rating 7.3McKenna as Duchess of RichmondGarrani as Marshal Soult

Awards

Four awards and honors from 1956 to 1979, one of them major.

Virginia McKenna's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
BAFTA
1956	Best Actress		Won
Other honors
1979	Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical		Won
	Laurence Olivier Awards		Won
	Officer of the Order of the British Empire		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.