Elizabeth Macdonald Sellars (6 May 1921 – 30 December 2019) was a Scottish actress.

Early life and education

Sellars was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland, the daughter of Stephen Sellars and Jean Sutherland. She appeared on the stage from the age of 15, and trained at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...

. She also studied law for five years in England.

Career

Sellars worked with

ENSA The Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) was an organisation established in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II. ENSA operated as part of the Navy, ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, entertaining British troops. She made her first

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

stage appearance in 1946 in ''

The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' (russian: Братья Карамазовы, ''Brat'ya Karamazovy'', ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly two years writing '' ...

'', directed by

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

and sharing the stage with

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (194 ...

. She later appeared with the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

as Elizabeth in ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'', Helen in ''

Troilus and Cressida ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ) is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek camp. Meanwh ...

'', Gertrude in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'', and Hermione in ''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

''. She played opposite

Valentine Dyall Valentine Dyall (7 May 1908 – 24 June 1985) was an English character actor. He worked regularly as a voice actor, and was known for many years as "The Man in Black", the narrator of the BBC Radio horror series '' Appointment with Fear'' ...

Louise Hampton Louise Hampton (23 December 1879 – 10 February 1954) was a British actress. Although her career began when she was a child, it was for "the pathos and dignity of her elderly, motherly roles""Obituary: Louise Hampton", ''The Stage'', 18 Februar ...

, and

Anthony Ireland Anthony Ireland may refer to: * Anthony Ireland (actor) (1902–1957), British actor * Anthony Ireland (basketball) (born 1989), American basketball player * Anthony Ireland (cricketer) (born 1984), cricketer from Zimbabwe {{Hndis, Ireland, Anthon ...

in ''The Other Side'', at the Comedy Theatre, London, in 1946. Sellars entered films with ''

Floodtide ''Floodtide'' is a 1949 British romantic drama film directed by Frederick Wilson and starring Gordon Jackson, Rona Anderson, John Laurie and Jimmy Logan. The film was one of the four of David Rawnsley's films that used his "independent frame ...

'' (1949), part of an all-Scottish cast, including Gordon Jackson. She appeared in a string of British films in the 1950s and 1960s, and also a few Hollywood films, usually in secondary roles, including ''

The Barefoot Contessa ''The Barefoot Contessa'' is a 1954 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz about the life and loves of fictional Spanish sex symbol Maria Vargas. It stars Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, and Edmond O'Brien. The film's sl ...

'' (1954), '' Désirée'' (1954), ''

Prince of Players ''Prince of Players'' is a 1955 20th Century Fox biographical film about the 19th century American actor Edwin Booth. The film was directed and produced by Philip Dunne from a screenplay by Moss Hart, based on the book by Eleanor Ruggles. Th ...

'' (1955), ''

The Day They Robbed the Bank of England ''The Day They Robbed the Bank of England'' is a 1960 British crime film directed by John Guillermin. It was written by Howard Clewes and Richard Maibaum and based upon the 1959 novel of the same title by John Brophy. Peter O'Toole's role ...

'' (1960), '' 55 Days at Peking'' (1963), and ''

The Chalk Garden ''The Chalk Garden'' is a play by Enid Bagnold that premiered in the US in 1955 and was produced in Britain the following year. It tells the story of the imperious Mrs St Maugham and her granddaughter Laurel, a disturbed child under the care of ...

'' (1964). She was the main female lead in a number of films, including ''

The Long Memory ''The Long Memory'' is a black-and-white 1953 British crime film directed by Robert Hamer and based on the 1951 novel of the same title by Howard Clewes. Filmed at locations such as London Waterloo railway station, the North Kent Marshes on ...

'' (1953), ''

The Last Man to Hang ''The Last Man to Hang?'' is a 1956 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Tom Conway and Elizabeth Sellars. The film was produced by John Gossage for Act Films Ltd. Plot Music critic Sir Roderick Strood is having an affair with a bea ...

'' (1956), ''

Never Let Go ''Never Let Go'' is a 1960 British thriller film starring Richard Todd, Peter Sellers and Elizabeth Sellars. It concerns a man's attempt to recover his stolen Ford Anglia car. Sellers plays a London villain, in one of his rare serious roles. P ...

'' (1960), and '' The Webster Boy'' (1962). She also appeared frequently on television, most notably in ''

A Voyage Round My Father ''A Voyage Round My Father'' is an autobiographical play by John Mortimer, later adapted for television. The first version of the play appeared as a series of three half-hour sketches for BBC radio in 1963. It then became a television play with ...

'' (1982) with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

Personal life

On 8 September 1960, Sellars married surgeon Francis Austin Henley in

Stow-on-the-Wold Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, on top of an 800-foot (244 m) hill at the junction of main roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way (A429), which is of Roman origin. The town was found ...

, England. They remained together until his death on 31 January 2009. Sellars died on 30 December 2019 at her home in France, aged 98 years.

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1949) as Judy *'' Madeleine'' (1950) as Christina Hackett *''

Guilt Is My Shadow ''Guilt Is My Shadow'' is a 1950 British drama film directed by Roy Kellino and starring Elizabeth Sellars, Patrick Holt and Peter Reynolds. In the film, a woman is haunted by her conscience after she kills a man and hides the body. It is base ...

'' (1950) as Linda *''

Cloudburst A cloudburst is an extreme amount of precipitation in a short period of time, sometimes accompanied by hail and thunder, which is capable of creating flood conditions. Cloudbursts can quickly dump large amounts of water, e.g. 25 mm of pre ...

'' (1951) as Carol Graham *''

Night Was Our Friend ''Night Was Our Friend'' is a 1951 British drama film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Elizabeth Sellars, Michael Gough and Ronald Howard. The title references a line from Virgil's epic poem ''The Aeneid''. Plot A young woman is acq ...

'' (1951) as Sally Raynor *'' Hunted'' (1952) as Magda Lloyd *''

The Gentle Gunman ''The Gentle Gunman'' is a 1952 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring John Mills, Dirk Bogarde and Elizabeth Sellars. The film is based on a 1950 play of the same title by Roger MacDougall that was televised by the BBC in S ...

'' (1952) as Maureen Fagan *''

'' (1953) as Fay Lowther *'' The Broken Horseshoe'' (1953) as Della Freeman *''

Recoil Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force requ ...

'' (1953) as Jean Talbot *''Three's Company'' (1953) as Diane Graham (segment "The Surgeon's Story") *''

Forbidden Cargo Forbidden Cargo may refer to: * Forbidden Cargo (1925 film), ''Forbidden Cargo'' (1925 film), an American film starring Boris Karloff: rum-running from Bahamas to United States * Forbidden Cargo (1954 film), ''Forbidden Cargo'' (1954 film), a Brit ...

'' (1954) as Rita Compton *''

'' (1954) as Jerry Dawes *'' Désirée'' (1954) as Julie Clary, Désirée's Sister *''

'' (1955) as Asia Booth *''

Three Cases of Murder ''Three Cases of Murder'' is a 1955 British horror omnibus film comprising three stories: "The Picture," "You Killed Elizabeth," and "Lord Mountdrago." Eamonn Andrews introduces each. Alan Badel appears in all three.John Hamilton, ''The British ...

'' (1955) as Elizabeth ("You Killed Elizabeth" segment) *''

'' (1956) as Daphne Strood *'' The Man in the Sky'' (1957) as Mary Mitchell *'' The Shiralee'' (1957) as Marge *'' Law and Disorder'' (1958) as Gina Laselle *''

Jet Storm ''Jet Storm'' (also known as ''Jet Stream'' or ''Killing Urge'') is a 1959 British thriller film directed and co-written by Cy Endfield. Richard Attenborough stars with Stanley Baker, Hermione Baddeley and Diane Cilento. The film is a precurso ...

'' (1959) as Inez Barrington *''

'' (1960) as Iris Muldoon *''

'' (1960) as Anne Cummings *'' The Webster Boy'' (1962) as Margaret Webster *'' 55 Days at Peking'' (1963) as Lady Sarah Robertson *''

'' (1964) as Olivia *''

The Mummy's Shroud ''The Mummy's Shroud'' is a 1967 British DeLuxe colour horror film made by Hammer Film Productions which was directed by John Gilling. It stars André Morell and David Buck as explorers who uncover the tomb of an ancient Egyptian mummy. It als ...

'' (1967) as Barbara Preston *''

The Hireling ''The Hireling'' is a 1973 British drama film directed by Alan Bridges, based on a 1957 novel of the same title by L. P. Hartley, which starred Robert Shaw and Sarah Miles. It tells the story of a chauffeur who falls in love with an aristocra ...

'' (1973) as Lady Franklin's mother *''

'' (1982, TV movie) as Mother *'' Farrington'' (1987, TV series) as Delia Murdock *''

The Play on One ''The Play on One'' (''Play on One'' in the final series) is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC Nations and Regions in its studios outside London, and transmitted on BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air pub ...

: The Dunroamin' Rising'' (1988, TV play) as Jean Sutherland *'' A Ghost in Monte Carlo'' (1990, TV movie) as Countess Kissler

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sellars, Elizabeth 1921 births 2019 deaths Actresses from Glasgow Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Scottish film actresses Scottish stage actresses Scottish television actresses British expatriates in France