Brenda Forbes (14 January 1909 – 11 September 1996) was a British-born American actress of stage and screen.

Personal life

Born as Dorothy Brenda Taylor in Wandsworth, London, the daughter of Ernest John and Ethel Louise Taylor. Her mother was actress Mary Forbes, and her elder brother was actor Ralph Forbes (né Ralph Forbes Taylor), she made her first film appearance in 1935 and her last in 1995. She appeared on Broadway between 1931 and 1985, mostly in revivals of classics.

Career

Forbes created the role of the outspoken maid, Wilson, in the original production of '' The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' opposite

Katharine Cornell Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893June 9, 1974) was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York. Dubbed "The First Lady of the Theatre" by critic A ...

. She played the role in various revivals as well. She co-starred as Lady Vale in the 1967 musical '' Darling of the Day'' in which she and Peter Woodthorpe introduced the song '' Panache'' and appeared in the 1976 revival of '' My Fair Lady'' as Mrs. Higgins; also in that production was George Rose whom she starred with in the 1986 all star cast revival of '' Aren't We All?''IBDb profile
ibdb.com; accessed 18 November 2015. On screen she appeared in several films over a 50-year period including '' The Imperfect Lady'' (1935) and '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942). Her last role, a small one, was in '' The Jerky Boys: The Movie''.

Family

She was married to Merrill Shepard from 1947 until his death in 1986; they had no children.

Death

She died from cancer in 1996, aged 87, in New York City.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes, Brenda 1909 births 1996 deaths Actresses from London American film actresses American stage actresses British film actresses British stage actresses Deaths from cancer in New York (state) British emigrants to the United States People from Wandsworth 20th-century American actresses 20th-century British actresses 20th-century English women 20th-century English people