Clare Higgins | |
|---|---|
 Higgins in 2016 | |
| Born | Clare Frances Elizabeth Higgins (1955-11-10)10 November 1955 (age 70) Bradford,West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Alma mater | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Clare Frances Elizabeth Higgins (born 10 November 1955) is an English actress. She is a three-time winner of theOlivier Award for Best Actress; forSweet Bird of Youth (1995),Vincent in Brixton (2003), andHecuba (2005).[1] She made herBroadway debut in 2003 inVincent in Brixton, receiving aTony Award nomination forBest Actress in a Play.[2]
Higgins is known to film audiences for her role asJulia Cotton in the horror filmHellraiser (1987) and its first sequel,Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988). She also starred as Miss Cackle on theCBBC fantasy television seriesThe Worst Witch (2017-2020), based on the children's book seriesof the name.
Higgins, the first of six children, was born inBradford, to Paula Cecilia (née Murphy) and James Stephen Higgins.[citation needed] Her parents were from working classIrish Catholic backgrounds,[3] and worked as teachers. Higgins was interested in acting from her childhood. After being expelled from a convent school, she ran away from home at seventeen.[3] At 19, she gave birth to a boy, but gave him up for adoption at her social worker's insistence.[3]
Higgins is cousin to British American writerNicola Griffith.[4]
At 23, Higgins graduated from theLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Through the 1980s, she became a dynamic stage actress, both in London and onBroadway. She starred in the premiere ofDavid Hare'sThe Secret Rapture, and won the first of her threeOlivier Awards in 1995. In 1983, she starred withBen Cross in theBBC's serial version ofA.J. Cronin'sThe Citadel, playing the role of Christine Manson.
Higgins appeared as Jocasta in theNational Theatre's critically acclaimed production ofOedipus, oppositeRalph Fiennes in the title role. From April to May 2009, she appeared inWallace Shawn'sThe Fever at theRoyal Court Theatre.[5]
From mid-May to September 2009, she appeared as the Countess Rossillion inAll's Well That Ends Well at the National Theatre (Olivier stage).[6]
For the big screen, Higgins played Julia Cotton inClive Barker'sHellraiser (1987), based on Barker's novellaThe Hellbound Heart. She reprised the role forTony Randel'sHellbound: Hellraiser II (1988). She was originally intended to play a major role in the third film, but requested her character be killed off at the end of the second film.
Her other film credits include the Scottish filmSmall Faces (1996). In 2000, she appeared in Catherine Cookson'sThe Secret mini-series as Maggie Hewitt, as well as inWoody Allen'sCassandra's Dream (2007) andThe Golden Compass (2007).
On 30 September 2012, Higgins appeared in season 3, episode 3 ofDownton Abbey as Mrs Bartlett, a friend of Mrs Bates who eventually helps in the release of Mr Bates from prison.[7]
On 14 November 2013, she appeared in theDoctor Who mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor", which starredPaul McGann as theEighth Doctor. Higgins played Ohila, the leader of theSisterhood of Karn. In 2014, she appeared in theFather Brown episode "The Daughters of Jerusalem" as Dinah Fortescue. Higgins returned to the role of Ohila in 2015 in "The Magician's Apprentice", which originally aired on 19 September 2015, and in the series finale "Hell Bent" on 5 December 2015. The same year, she appeared inEastEnders, as prosecuting lawyerHazel Warren.
In January 2017, Higgins starred in CBBC's adaptation of Jill Murphy'sThe Worst Witch as Miss Ada Cackle, and her wicked twin sister Agatha.
Higgins was awarded theLaurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1995 (1994 season) for Best Actress in a Play for her performance inSweet Bird of Youth at theRoyal National Theatre. She won the same award in both 2002 and 2005: in 2002 for her performance inVincent in Brixton performed at the Royal National Theatre,Cottesloe andWyndham's Theatres, and in 2005 for her performance asHecuba in theEuripides tragedy at theDonmar Warehouse. She was awarded the 2002London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance inVincent in Brixton. Additionally, she was awarded the 1994 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre) for Best Actress for her performances inThe Children's Hour andSweet Bird of Youth. She was also awarded the 2002London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance inVincent in Brixton at theDonmar Warehouse in London. In 2003, she was nominated for aTony Award as Best Actress in a Play forVincent in Brixton on Broadway, and garnered the 2003Theatre World Award for outstanding major Broadway debut.[9]
