Film actress (born 1950)
Elizabeth Spender (born 1950) is a film and television actress known for her role in Brazil .
Early life and education
Spender is the daughter of concert pianist Natasha Spender (née Litvin) and the poet, novelist and essayist Stephen Spender .[ 1] [ 2] She studied drama at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Drama Centre London .[ 3] She also attended an Arvon Foundation television play-writing course which was taught by Jack Rosenthal .[ 3]
Career
Among numerous television and film credits, she appeared in Terry Gilliam 's 1985 cult film Brazil .[ 4]
She has written two BBC TV dramas: Hedgehog Wedding (1987) produced by Innes Lloyd ,[ 5] [ 3] and These Foolish Things (1989)[ 6] [ 7] which starred Lindsay Duncan .[ 8] In the 1990s she wrote a series of Pastability cookbooks.[ 9] [ 3] In 2005 she published a memoir of her childhood, The Wild Horse Diaries (ISBN 9780733619755 ).[ 10] [ 7] [ 11] [ 12]
Personal life
From 1990 until his death in 2023, she was married to the Australian actor and satirist Barry Humphries .[ 13] They had met at a Groucho Club party in 1988.[ 7]
Filmography
Film
Television
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1973
Frankenstein: The True Story
Ballroom Guest
Television film
1979
Feet First
Fay Faith
Episode #1.3
1979
Premiere
Trudi
Episode: "Over There"
1979
Testament of Youth
Christina
Episode: "1918"
1980
The Professionals
Helen Tippett
Episode: "Blood Sports"
1980
BBC2 Playhouse
Constance
Episode: "The Happy Autumn Fields"
1981
Something in Disguise
Annabel
Episode: "A New Life"
1982
Nancy Astor
Henrietta
Episode: "Scandals"
1984
Oxbridge Blues
Girl at party
Episode: "The Muse"
1984
The Secret Servant
Melinda Fay
2 episodes
1984
Talk to Me
Kate
Television film
1986
ScreenPlay
Magdalena Hofdemel
Episode: "The Mozart Inquest"
1988
Sherlock Holmes
Laura Lyons
Episode: "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
1991
Selling Hitler
Valkyrie / Marlene
4 episodes
1998–1999
Fast Tracks
Judy Brumfield
3 episodes
2023
Barry Humphries: A Tribute
—
Television special
References
^ Hornery, Andrew (April 21, 2023). "Humphries' family gathers from around the globe" . The Sydney Morning Herald .
^ "Unbridled Passion". House & Garden . August 2015. pp. 53–57.
^ a b c d "Rolling the credits for a Spender" . Evening Standard . 24 March 1987. p. 31. Retrieved 29 April 2023 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Elizabeth Spender" . BFI . Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-06 .
^ "Hedgehog Wedding (1987)" . BFI . Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved 2023-04-29 .
^ "These Foolish Things (1989)" . BFI . Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved 2023-04-29 .
^ a b c "The kindness of famous friends" . Sunday Independent (Ireland) – Living Section . 25 September 2005. p. 5. Retrieved 29 April 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive .
^ "Fooling Around With Love" . Daily Mirror . 28 February 1989. p. 19. Retrieved 29 April 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ Dowe, Michael (15 Oct 1991). "Italian Treats for Non-Italians" . The Sydney Morning Herald . p. 43.
^ Spender, Stephen (3 July 2012). New Selected Journals, 1939-1995 . Faber and Faber. p. 542. ISBN 978-0-571-29411-4 .
^ "The horse was my baby" . The Sunday Telegraph . 28 August 2005. p. 38. Retrieved 29 April 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "The pony-mad child inside" . www.telegraph.co.uk . 11 September 2005. Retrieved 29 April 2023 .
^ "Barry Humphries facts: Dame Edna comedian's age, career, wife, children and more revealed" . Smooth .
External links