Wendy Hiller
Biography
Wendy Hiller was an English actress whose stage and film career spanned nearly sixty years. Born in Bramhall, Cheshire, she joined the Manchester Repertory Company at eighteen and found success as Sally Hardcastle in the 1934 play Love on the Dole. George Bernard Shaw chose her for several of his plays, and she starred as Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion (1938), earning an Academy Award nomination. She followed it with Major Barbara (1941) and I Know Where I'm Going! (1945), then concentrated on the stage. Later films included Separate Tables (1958), which won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Sons and Lovers (1960), A Man for All Seasons (1966), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Voyage of the Damned (1976), The Elephant Man (1980), and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987). On television she appeared in Richard II (1978) and All Passion Spent, earning a BAFTA nomination. She received a Tony nomination for A Moon for the Misbegotten.
90years old at death
- Born Stockport
- Died Beaconsfield
- Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
- Also credited as Dame Wendy Hiller and Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller
Movie Career
- Films
- 20
- Career span
- 49 years1938 to 1987
Photos
Share
Did you know?!
A first
Shaw wanted Hiller for the role of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion (1938), and she appeared opposite Leslie Howard as Professor Higgins. Her performance brought her a first Oscar nomination, and she became the first actress to say "bloody" in a British film.
Early training
At 18, Hiller became a member of the Manchester Repertory Company, where she spent several years both acting and stage-managing.
Big break
Hiller's performance in Love on the Dole in New York in 1936 drew the attention of George Bernard Shaw, who then cast her in several of his plays.
Wendy Hiller movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
John Gielgud's page
Deborah Kerr's page
John Hurt's page
Donald Pleasence's page
Trevor Howard's page
Robert Morley's page
Also two films together10 more actors
- Wilfrid Hyde-WhiteThe Cat and the Canary (1978) and Outcast of the Islands (1951)
- Ralph RichardsonWitness for the Prosecution (1982) and Outcast of the Islands (1951)
- George CoulourisMurder on the Orient Express (1974) and Outcast of the Islands (1951)
- Colin BlakelyMurder on the Orient Express (1974) and A Man for All Seasons (1966)
- Cathleen NesbittSeparate Tables (1958) and Pygmalion (1938)
- Walter HuddI Know Where I'm Going! (1945) and Major Barbara (1941)
- Cyril LuckhamA Man for All Seasons (1966) and How to Murder a Rich Uncle (1957)
- Jean CadellI Know Where I'm Going! (1945) and Pygmalion (1938)
- Marie LohrMajor Barbara (1941) and Pygmalion (1938)
- David TreeMajor Barbara (1941) and Pygmalion (1938)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Three awards and honors from 1959 to 1975, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1959 | Best Supporting Actress | Separate Tables | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 1975 | Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Won | |
| 1971 | Officer of the Order of the British Empire | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.