Biography for
Judith Anderson (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

10 February 1897, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Date of Death

3 January 1992, Santa Barbara, California, USA (pneumonia)

Birth Name

Frances Margaret Anderson-Anderson

Mini 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 30s, 40s and 50s. Her notable stage works included the role of Lady Macbeth, which she played first in the 1920s, and gave a Emmy-winning television performance in "Hallmark Hall of Fame: Macbeth (II) (#10.2)" (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 1983 TV version of Medea (1983/I) (TV) 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 nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar. 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.

Living in Santa Barbara in her later years, she also had a successful stint 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 Saturn Award for that work. Anderson died of pneumonia on January 3, 1992, in Santa Barbara, California.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov

Spouse

Luther Greene	(11 July 1946 - 26 June 1951) (divorced)
Benjamin Harrison Lehmann	(18 May 1937 - 23 August 1939) (divorced)

Trivia

She was awarded a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1960 Queen's new Years Honours List for her services to the performing arts.

Received the Women's International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award in 1986.

Made her TV soap opera debut in 1984 as the grande dame, Minx Lockridge, in "Santa Barbara" (1984) (which happens to be her home town).

Won the 1948 Tony award for best actress in a dramatic play for her performance as Medea. In 1959, she reprised the role on television, and in a 1983 telecast of the play, she played the supporting role of the nurse.

It is said that conductor Arturo Toscanini was so carried away by her performance in the title role of Medea on Broadway that he nearly fell out of his stage box applauding.

Won Broadway's 1948 Tony Award as best actress-dramatic for playing the title role in Medea -- an award shared with Katharine Cornell for Antony and Cleopatra, and Jessica Tandy for A Streetcar Named Desire. In 1959, she repeated the same role on television. In 1982, she received a Tony nomination as best actress-featured role-play for playing the supporting role of the Nurse in Medea, repeating that performance in a 1983 telecast of the play.

The first and perhaps the only actress to win two Emmy Awards for playing the same role (Lady MacBeth) in two separate television productions of the same play, the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of Shakespeare's Macbeth in 1954 and "Hallmark Hall of Fame: Macbeth (II) (#10.2)" (1960), with the same leading actor, Maurice Evans.

Dame Judith Anderson was awarded the A.C. (Companion of the Order of Australia) on June 10, 1991 for her services to drama.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 3, 1991-1993, pages 17-19. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001.

Personal Quotes

I have not myself a very serene temperament.

All of my work is based on nature. I grew up in a rural environment and living in the Bay Area allows for immediate access to wonderful natural environs. Basically nature is my Genus Loci, or the place where my spirit resides.

I am inspired by many mediums and use them to express varied aspects of my philosophies and life observations.

Personally I believe it is important for mankind to respect nature - for homeostasis - and I have volunteered with environmental organizations, I do not attempt to have an environmental leaning regarding my artwork.

There is nothing enduring in life for a woman except what she builds in a man's heart.

I may play demons, but I've never played a wimp!

When I do a part, it's never hard work because I love it.

Salary

Cinderfella (1960)

$60,000 per week

Browse biographies section by name

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z