Jennifer Mary Hilary (14 December 1942 – 6 August 2008)[1] was a British actress of stage, film and television. Her first acclaimed stage performance was as "Milly" in Henry James' The Wings of the Dove, which marked her debut in the West End.

Jennifer Hilary
Born
Jennifer Mary Hilary

(1942-12-14)14 December 1942
Frimley, England
Died6 August 2008(2008-08-06) (aged 65)
London, England
Alma materRADA
OccupationActress
Years active1961–2007

Career

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Born at Frimley, Surrey, she trained at RADA, and began her acting career with the Liverpool Playhouse in April 1961, aged 18. Her first role was as Nina in The Seagull. She would go on to play such characters as Lady Teazle (The School for Scandal), Isabel (The Enchanted), Cilla Curtis (Amateur Means Lover) and Cecily Cardew (The Importance of Being Earnest). She went on to act with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.[2]

She debuted across the pond in 1963, performing in Jean Anouilh's The Rehearsal.[3] In 1964, she played "Zoe" in the West End production of James Saunders' A Scent of Flowers. Sir Michael Redgrave included her in the cast of Turgenev's A Month in the Country in 1965.[4] She returned to New York to play the doomed "Sasha" in Chekhov's Ivanov at the Shubert Theatre in 1966.[5] Back in London, she played "Ginny" in the hit 1967 production of Alan Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking.[2]

Later years and death

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Later in life she founded a flower-arranging business. In 2001, she provided the floral arrangements for actor Michael Williams's memorial service at Covent Garden.[6]

Hilary died from cancer in London on 6 August 2008, at the age of 65.[6][7]

Awards

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In 1961 she was awarded the Bancroft Gold Medal.[2]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1964 Becket Peasant's Daughter
1965 The Heroes of Telemark Sigrid
1966 The Idol Sarah
1971 One Brief Summer Jennifer
1980 North Sea Hijack Sarah
1982 Five Days One Summer Sarah Meredith
1989 Slipstream Girl's Mother

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1961 Deadline Midnight Girl 1 episode
1966 The Woman in White Laura Fairlie / Anne Catherick Main role
1967 ITV Play of the Week Jacqueline "A Roof Over Our Mouths"
1968 Journey to the Unknown Anne Prentiss "The New People"
1969 The Wednesday Play Gilly Atkinson "Dr. Atkinson's Daughter"
1969 The Gold Robbers Stephanie Conroy "Rough Trade"
1969 Department S Comtesse de Noverre "Death on Reflection"
1969 Happy Ever After "The Woman at the Door"
1969 ITV Sunday Night Theatre Wendy / Sandra "Pig in a Poke", "Two Feet Off the Ground"
1970 ITV Sunday Night Theatre Zo "Jennie", "Emma", "Zo"
1971 Out of the Unknown Penny Bowers "Welcome Home"
1971 A Family at War Jill Robbins "Breaking Point", "The Lost Ones"
1972 Jason King Myra Borgen "If it's Got to Go – It's Got to Go"
1973 The Man in the Wood Betty Hardy TV film
1974 Late Night Drama "Better at Murder"
1974–75 Sam Sarah Wilson Main role
1977 Z-Cars Val Murray "Guilt"
1977 Play for Today Davina "Charades"
1978 Crown Court Lynne Hanson "In the Heat of the Moment: Part 1"
1978 The Sunday Drama Lucy "Alphabetical Order"
1980 Tales of the Unexpected Wendy "The Umbrella Man"
1980 The Gentle Touch Elaine Lawson "Maggie's Luck"
1980 Play for Today Mrs. Champing "The Adventures of Frank: Parts 1 & 2"
1981 Jackanory Blanche "Alice Through The..."
1981 Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years Goonie "In High Places"
1982 BBC2 Playhouse Geraldine "Lunch"
1983 All for Love Miss Martin "Miss A and Miss M"
1984 The Hello Goodbye Man Dr. Sally Newbolt "1.5"
1984 The Sun Also Rises Frances Clyne TV miniseries
1985 Me and My Girl Laura Tindle "Picture of Harmony"
1988 Double First Louise Hobson TV series
1991 Stay Lucky Police Inspector "Shingle Beach"
1994 Pie in the Sky Anne Hopkinson "Undesirable Elements"
1995 Zoya Tsarina TV film
1995 Bliss Tamara Bancroft TV film
1999 Midsomer Murders Sarah Fitzroy "Death of a Stranger"
2007 Doctors Clare Harris "Once Bitten", (final television appearance)

References

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  1. ^ Profile, ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Obituary in The Telegraph Online
  3. ^ "Jennifer Hilary – Broadway Cast & Staff - IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  4. ^ Stage, The (12 August 2008). "Jennifer Hilary - Obituaries".
  5. ^ "Ivanov – Broadway Play – 1966 Revival - IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  6. ^ a b Jennifer Hilary obit, The Independent. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  7. ^ Gaughan, Gavin (8 September 2008). "Jennifer Hilary". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
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