Person Details

Birthday: 1897-02-10 06:14:13

Death: 1992-01-03 06:14:13

Aliases: Frances Margaret Anderson , Dame Judith Anderson , Frances Margaret Anderson Anderson

Gender: Female

Place of birth: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 32

TV Involvements: 7


Most Famous Work

Biography

Dame Judith Anderson was born Frances Margaret Anderson on February 10, 1897 in Adelaide, South Australia. She began her acting career in Australia before moving to New York in 1918. There she established herself as one of the greatest theatrical actresses and was a major star on Broadway throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Her notable stage works included the role of Lady Macbeth, which she played first in the 1920s, and gave an Emmy Award-winning television performance in Macbeth (1960). Anderson's long association with Euripides's "Medea" began with her acclaimed Tony Award-winning 1948 stage performance in the title role. She appeared in the television version of Medea (1983) in the supporting character of the Nurse. Anderson made her Hollywood film debut under director Rowland Brown in a supporting role in Blood Money (1933). Her striking, not conventionally attractive features were complemented with her powerful presence, mastery of timing and an effortless style. Anderson made a film career as a supporting character actress in several significant films including Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940), for which she was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actress. She worked with director Otto Preminger in Laura (1944), then with René Clair in And Then There Were None (1945). Her remarkable performance in a supporting role in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) fit in a stellar acting ensemble under director Richard Brooks. Anderson was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1960 Queen's New Year's Honours List for her services to the performing arts. Living in Santa Barbara in her later years, she also had a successful stint on the soap opera Santa Barbara (1984) and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1984. In the same year, at age 87, she appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) as the High Priestess, and was nominated for a Saturn Award for that role. She was awarded Companion of the Order of Australia in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to the performing arts. Anderson died at age 94 of pneumonia on January 3, 1992 in Santa Barbara, California.

Most Famous Work

The Ten Commandments
Average
8

The Ten Commandments

(1956) Memnet
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Average
8

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

(1955) Mrs. Danvers (archive footage) (uncredited)
Climax!
Average
3

Climax!

(1954) Rachel
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Average
7

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

(1984) Vulcan High Priestess
And Then There Were None
Average
7

And Then There Were None

(1945) Emily Brent
Rebecca
Average
8

Rebecca

(1940) Mrs. Danvers
A Man Called Horse
Average
6

A Man Called Horse

(1970) Buffalo Cow Head
Laura
Average
8

Laura

(1944) Ann Treadwell

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2018 Self (archive footage)
1991 actress 'Laura' (archive footage) (uncredited)
1986 The Sister of Purgatory (voice)
1984 Minx Lockridge
Vulcan High Priestess
1983 Nurse
1975 Caroline Straulle
1974 Mrs. Snow
1973 Aunt Sophie
1970 Buffalo Cow Head
1969 Elizabeth Devlin
1964 Lady Macbeth
Paulina
1961 'Rebecca' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Maggie Shoemaker
1960 Wicked Stepmother
1959 Narrator of the final offering
Tiare
Medea
1958 Big Momma
1957 Marquesa de Montemayor
1956 Memnet
1955 Mrs. Danvers (archive footage) (uncredited)
1954 Rachel
1953 Queen Herodias
1951 N/A
The Prioress
Elizabeth Devlin
Queen Elizabeth I
Lady Macbeth
1950 Flo Burnett
1948 Self
1947 Miss Ellen Braithwaite
Mrs. Callum
Ellen Morgan
1946 Mrs. Ivers
Madame La Sylph
Madame Lanlaire
1945 Emily Brent
1944 Ann Treadwell
1943 Judith Anderson
Gerd Bjarnesen
1942 Harriet Gordon
Madame
1941 Slade
Lady Joan Culver
1940 Madame Granville
Mrs. Danvers
1933 Ruby Darling
Year Character Movie/Tv

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