Henrietta Sara Louise Baynes (born 16 August 1956) is an English film, television and theatre actress. She began her career in ballet by training from the age of 10 at the Royal Ballet School and made her professional debut, at the age of 12, in Rudolf Nureyev's '' The Nutcracker'' followed by '' The Sleeping Beauty'' at the Royal Opera House,

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

. In her mid-teens she moved from dance to acting. She began her acting career at 17, as an acting

ASM ASM may refer to: Codes * American Samoa, ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code * Asmara International Airport, IATA airport code * Assamese language, ISO 639 language code ''asm'' Organizations * Aare Seeland mobil, a Swiss bus and train operator * Al ...

in repertory theatre. She was married to film director

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...

from 1992 to 1999; they had one son.

Early life and education

Baynes was born in Boscombe Hospital,

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

, the daughter of aeronautical engineer

Leslie Baynes Leslie Everett Baynes, AFRAeS (23 March 1902 – 13 March 1989) was an English aeronautical engineer. Early life Born at Barnes, Surrey, on 23 March 1902 the son of James and Florence Baynes. Baynes was educated at Gresham's School, Norfolk, le ...

, who designed what is believed to be the oldest flying glider in the United Kingdom, and Margot (née Findlay). Baynes attended the

Elmhurst Ballet School Elmhurst Ballet School is an independent school for professional classical ballet in the United Kingdom. It takes students aged 11–19 years who intend to pursue a career in professional classical ballet. Elmhurst provides a full academic day i ...

Camberley Camberley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately south-west of Central London. The town is in the far west of the county, close to the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire. Once part of Windsor Forest, Cambe ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, where a contemporary was the actress

Laura Hartong Laura Lynn Hartong (born 1958) is a British former television actress best known for playing Charlotte Onedin in four series of ''The Onedin Line'' created by Cyril Abraham. Born in Windsor, in the 1970s Hartong attended the Elmhurst Ballet Schoo ...

. Hetty graduated in a Creative Writing MA in 2015 from Birkbeck College London University, where she also took a BA in Philosophy in the late 1980s.

Career

Acting career

Her stage career has involved many roles: in 1979 in

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...

's ''

Inadmissible Evidence Admissible evidence, in a court of law, is any testimonial, documentary, or tangible evidence that may be introduced to a factfinder—usually a judge or jury—to establish or to bolster a point put forth by a party to the proceeding. Fo ...

'' at the Royal Court Theatre, and in 1984, a comic performance alongside

Maureen Lipman Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakesp ...

and Lionel Jeffries in the Theatre of Comedy’s '' See How They Run''. In 1991, she appeared with Edward Fox, in '' The Philanthropist'' at Wyndham's Theatre and in 1997, she appeared as Lady Fidget in William Wycherley's ''

The Country Wife ''The Country Wife'' is a Restoration comedy written by William Wycherley and first performed in 1675. A product of the tolerant early Restoration period, the play reflects an aristocratic and anti-Puritan ideology, and was controversial for ...

''. Her most recent stage performance was in 2004, as Shirley in ''Revelations'' by Stephen Lowe at the Hampstead Theatre. During her career she has received three best actress nominations for her performances: in 1991, as Rita in

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

's '' Little Eyolf'' (Off-West End Awards), in 1992, as Maddy in Michael Wall's ''

Women Laughing ''Women Laughing'' is a stage play written by Michael Wall (playwright), Michael Wall in 1989. It was first produced for the stage in 1992, just after the author's death. The original version of the play, which was for radio, contained only one ...

'' (Manchester Evening News Awards) and as Marilyn Monroe in Marilyn Bowering's ''Anyone Can See I Love You'' (Sony and Prix Italia Awards). Baynes has also appeared on television including, in 1981,

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

's ''

The Seven Dials Mystery ''The Seven Dials Mystery'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by William Collins & Sons on 24 January 1929 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. In this novel, Christie bri ...

'', in 1985, with Pauline Collins and

Michael Gambon Sir Michael John Gambon (; born 19 October 1940) is an Irish-English actor. Regarded as one of Ireland and Britain's most distinguished actors, he is known for his work on stage and screen. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivi ...

in ''The Tropical Moon Over Dorking'', in 1990, as the wife of Stephen Fry in

Simon Gray Simon James Holliday Gray (21 October 1936 – 7 August 2008) was an English playwright and memoirist who also had a career as a university lecturer in English literature at Queen Mary, University of London, for 20 years. While teaching at Que ...

's ''Old Flames'', in 1993, as Hilda in

's ''

Lady Chatterley’s Lover ''Lady Chatterley's Lover'' is the last novel by English author D. H. Lawrence, which was first published privately in 1928, in Italy, and in 1929, in France. An unexpurgated edition was not published openly in the United Kingdom until 1960, wh ...

'' and in ''The Secret Life of Sir Arnold Bax''. She appeared as Vera Rowley in the BBC series '' The Hour'' in 2011, and was also in BBC1's ''

The Casual Vacancy ''The Casual Vacancy'' is a 2012 novel written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published worldwide by the Little, Brown Book Group on 27 September 2012. A paperback edition was released on 23 July 2013. It was Rowling's first publication since ...

'' in 2015.

Art and paintings

She studied a fine art BA degree at Central St Martins. She had an exhibition at the Strand Gallery, London entitled ''Betsy and Blapsy''.

Personal life

She was married to film director

from 1992 to 1999; their son, Rex, was born on 7 January 1993 and is a film director.

Selected theatre appearances

* ''The Country Wife'' (Plymouth & tour) * ''

The Heidi Chronicles ''The Heidi Chronicles'' is a 1988 play by Wendy Wasserstein. The play won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Production history A workshop production at Seattle Repertory Theatre was held in April 1988, directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, starrin ...

'' * ''The Passing Out Parade'' * '' The Admirable Crichton'' (Greenwich Theatre) * ''Women Laughing'' - Best Actress nomination for the Manchester Evening News Awards (Manchester Royal Exchange) * ''The Philanthropist'' (Wyndham Theatre) * ''Little Eyolf'' - Best Actress nomination for the Fringe Awards (Bird's Nest) *'' Hand Over Fist'' (Watermill) * ''See How They Run'' * ''Theatre of Comedy ''(Shaftesbury Theatre) * ''Buglar Boy'' (Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival) * ''Happy Event'' * ''The Reluctante Debutant'' * ''Hay Fever'' (Windsor) * ''Le Bourgeois'' Gentilhomme (Lyric, Belfast) * ''

Chorus Girls ''Chorus Girls'' was a 1981 musical written by The Kinks lead singer and songwriter Ray Davies, who collaborated with ''The Long Good Friday'' screenwriter Barrie Keeffe. It opened at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, London starring Marc Sinde ...

'' (Stratford East) * ''

Suddenly Last Summer ''Suddenly Last Summer'' is a one-act play by Tennessee Williams, written in New York in 1957. It opened off Broadway on January 7, 1958, as part of a double bill with another of Williams' one-acts, ''Something Unspoken'' (written in London in ...

'' * '' Three Sisters'' (Thorndike Theatre) * ''Inadmissible Evidence'' (Royal Court) * ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' (Ludlow Festival) and * ''

The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

'' * ''On the Rocks'' (Mermaid Theatre).

Selected television appearances

*''

Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

'' (2020) as Yvonne Wrigley *''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective who is featured in 53 short stories published between 1910 and 1936 written by English author G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuiti ...

'' (2017) as Lucia Morell, episode 5.5 "The Hand of Lucia" * '' Secret Army'' * '' My Family'' * ''Cutting It'' * ''Cor Blimey'' * '' The Bill'' - A Time to Kill * '' Jonathan Creek'' - Miracle in Crooked Lane * '' A Touch of Frost'' - Keys to the Car * ''Ken Russell’s Treasure Island'' * ''The Vet'' * '' Fall of Eagles'' * ''Alice in Russialand'' * ''Privateer 2'' : The Darkening * ''The Secret Life of Sir Arnold Bax'' * '' Minder'' * ''Old Flames'' * ''Christmas Present'' * '' London's Burning'' * ''Harry’s Kingdom'' * '' Bergerac'' * ''

The Piglet Files The Piglet Files is a British sitcom produced by London Weekend Television (LWT). The show consisted of three series totalling 21 episodes that ran between 7 September 1990 and 10 May 1992. The programme follows the life of reluctant MI5 agent ...

'' * ''Drummonds'' * ''Tropical Moon Over Dorking'' * ''Wynne & Penkovsky'' * ''Chance in a Million'' * ''Dickens of London'' * '' Running Scared'' * ''Charters & Caldicott'' * '' Marjorie and Men'' * ''Crime Writers'' * ''

Just William ''Just William'' is the first book of children's short stories about the young school boy William Brown, written by Richmal Crompton, and published in 1922. The book was the first in the series of William Brown books which was the basis for ...

'' * ''Good Companions'' * ''Winter Sunlight'' *

's ''

'' * '' Dombey and Son'' * '' Sense and Sensibility'' * '' Nicholas Nickleby'' * ''Benefit of the Doubt'' * '' The Last Song'' * ''Hunchback of Notre Dame'' * ''Renoir My Father'' * ''

Red Dwarf ''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave since 2009, gaining a cult following. T ...

'' - Dimension Jump * '' Footballers' Wives'' * '' The Hour'' * ''

'' * '' Rumpole of the Bailey'': Series 2, Episode 3, "Rumpole and the Show Folk" (first aired 12 June 1979), under the name Henrieta Baynes, as Christine Hope * '' Keep It in the Family'': Series 3, Episode 1, "Splitting Headaches" (first aired 1 September 1981), under the name Henrieta Baynes, as a secretary

Selected radio performances

* ''

Far from the Madding Crowd ''Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1874) is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and his first major literary success. It originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in ''Cornhill Magazine'', where it gained a wide readership. The novel is set in ...

'' (4 May – 8 June 1990) * '' Rumpole and the Vanishing Juror'' (8 October 2003) * Tim Merryman’s ''Days of Clover'' * John Naismith's ''A Memory Longer Than Death'' * Suzy in BBC Radio 4's drama series ''

Citizens Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

'' (1987–92)

Selected film appearances

*''

The Balance of Nature ''The Balance of Nature'' is a 1983 British television drama film directed by Paul Annett, starring Leslie Ash. Outline The film is about the beauty business, seen mostly through the eyes of a Cockney girl from a tower block. Dawn Winch (Les ...

'' (1983) as Blanche * ''

Coping with Cupid ''Coping with Cupid'' was a 1991 short film, short science fiction, sci-fi romance film written and directed by Viviane Albertine, produced by the British Film Institute. Plot Three beautiful blonde Extraterrestrial life, aliens are sent to Ear ...

'' * ''The Insatiable Mrs Kirsch'' (which she co-wrote with

) * ''Mindbender, The Life of Uri Geller'' * Herbert Ross's '' Nijinsky'' * ''Ken Russell's Lady Chatterley'' * ''Blanche Dumas from B to Z''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baynes, Hetty 1956 births Living people People educated at the Royal Ballet School English film actresses English television actresses English stage actresses English voice actresses Actresses from Dorset Alumni of Birkbeck, University of London Actors from Bournemouth 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses