Hayley Mills | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mills in 2018 | |
| Born | Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (1946-04-18)18 April 1946 (age 79) Marylebone, London, England |
| Education | Elmhurst Ballet School |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1958–present |
| Spouse | |
| Partners |
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| Children | 2, includingCrispian Mills |
| Parents | |
| Relatives | Juliet Mills (sister) Annette Mills (aunt) Susie Blake (cousin) Mark Weedon (cousin) |
Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress and singer. A daughter of SirJohn Mills andMary Hayley Bell and younger sister of actressJuliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising newcomer, winning theBAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in the British crime drama filmTiger Bay (1959), theAcademy Juvenile Award for Disney'sPollyanna (1960) andGolden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress in 1961.
During her early career, Mills appeared in six films forWalt Disney, including herdual role as twins Susan and Sharon in the Disney filmThe Parent Trap (1961). Her performance inWhistle Down the Wind (a 1961 adaptation of thenovel written by her mother) received a nomination for theBAFTA Award for Best British Actress and she was voted the biggest star in Britain for 1961.
In the late 1960s, Mills began performing in theatrical plays, making her stage debut in a 1969West End revival ofPeter Pan. She also played in more mature roles. For her success with Disney, Mills received theDisney Legend Award. She has continued to make films and TV appearances during adulthood, including a starring role in the UK television mini-seriesThe Flame Trees of Thika in 1981, the title role in Disney's television seriesGood Morning, Miss Bliss in 1988, and as Caroline, a main character inWild at Heart (2007–2012) onITV in the UK. She published her memoirs,Forever Young, in 2021.
Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills was born on 18 April 1946,[1] inMarylebone,London, to British actorSir John Mills and actressMary Hayley Bell.[2][1] Her sister is actressJuliet Mills and her brother writer and producer Jonathan Mills.[1]
Mills was 12 when she was cast byJ. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role, inTiger Bay (1959) which co-starred her father. The movie was popular at the box office in Britain.[3][4]
Bill Anderson, one ofWalt Disney's producers, sawTiger Bay and suggested that Mills be given the lead role inPollyanna (1960).[5] The role of the orphaned "glad girl" who moves in with her aunt catapulted her to stardom in the United States and earned her a specialAcademy Award ofJuvenile Oscar, the last person to win the accolade. Because she could not be present to receive the trophy,Annette Funicello accepted it on her behalf.[6] Disney subsequently cast Mills as twins Sharon and Susan who reunite their divorced parents inThe Parent Trap (1961). In the film, she sings "Let's Get Together" as a duet with herself. The song was a hit around the world, reaching number 8 in the US.[7]
Mills received an offer to make a film in Britain forBryan Forbes,Whistle Down the Wind (1961), based on a novel by her motherMary Hayley Bell, about some children who believe an escaped convict is Jesus. It was a hit at the British box office and she was voted the biggest star in Britain for 1961.[8][9] Mills was offered the title role inLolita byStanley Kubrick, but her father turned it down. "I wish I had done it", she said in 1962. "It was a smashing film."[10] Mills returned to Disney for an adventure film,In Search of the Castaways (1962), based on a novel byJules Verne. It was another popular success, and she was voted the fifth biggest star in the country for the next two years.[11]
In 1963, Disney announced plans to film an adaptation ofDodie Smith's novelI Capture the Castle, with Mills in the role of Cassandra.[12] Disney ended up dropping the project, while still retaining film rights to the book, when the novelist and the selected screenwriterSally Benson did not get along; Mills grew too old for the part before the project could be revived.[13] Her fourth movie for Disney did less well than her previous Disney films, but was still successful:Summer Magic (1963), a musical adaptation of the novelMother Carey's Chickens.Ross Hunter hired her for a British-American productionThe Chalk Garden (1964), playing a girl who torments governessDeborah Kerr. Back at Disney she was in a film about jewel thieves,The Moon-Spinners (1964), getting her first on screen kiss fromPeter McEnery.[14][15] Mills had a change of pace withSky West and Crooked (1965), set in the world of gypsies, written by her mother and directed by her father,[16] but it was not commercially successful.[17]
In contrast, her last film with Disney, the comedyThat Darn Cat! (also 1965), did very well at the box office.[18]
During her six-year run at Disney, Mills was arguably the most popular child actress of the era. Critics noted that America's favourite child star was, in fact, quite British and very ladylike. The success of "Let's Get Together" (which hit No. 8 on theBillboard Hot 100 singles chart, No. 17 in Britain, No. 1 in Mexico, and No. 29 inCanada[19]) also led to the release of a record album on Disney's Buena Vista label,Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills, which also included another hit song, "Johnny Jingo" (Billboard No. 21, 1962;Canada No. 19[20]). In 1962, British exhibitors voted her the most popular film actress in the country.[21] A third single, "Castaway", reached No. 14 inCanada.[22]
InForever Young: A Memoir,[23] among other topics, she reveals high points from her early career, as well as struggles with self-esteem[24] and an eating disorder. Describing how she turned down roles that "undermined the Disney image" such asDoctor Doolittle and Stanley Kubrick'sLolita, she wrote that "I think by being under contract to Walt Disney, as much as I really appreciated the opportunity it gave me, [and] the career it gave me, quite frankly, it hampered me from getting more different kinds of roles and eventually it also influenced how I felt about myself. I wasn't sure what I was capable of."[25] Ultimately, at age 20, she turned down a new Disney contract. She felt her character castings led to her "repeating herself" with the studio.[25] She also detailed, how at age 21, she lost most of her Disney fortune to a 90% tax rate implemented by theInland Revenue in England. Her appeal to regain her funds was eventually shot down, with Mills admitting that at that time, she was worried about going the path ofJudy Garland and becoming a "studio asset".[25]
Following her departure from Disney, Mills continued her film career with a series of diverse roles. For Universal Pictures, she starred alongside her father, John Mills, inThe Truth About Spring (1965), which also featured Disney regular James MacArthur. While the film achieved modest success, her next role inThe Trouble with Angels (1966) proved to be a major box office hit. In the film, directed byIda Lupino, Mills portrayed a mischievous student at a Catholic boarding school oppositeRosalind Russell.
That same year, she provided the voice of the Little Mermaid in the Rankin/Bass animated featureThe Daydreamer (1966). Mills subsequently starred inThe Family Way (1966), directed byRoy Boulting. The film, which explored the challenges of a newlywed couple, was noted for its mature themes and featured a musical score byPaul McCartney with arrangements byBeatles producerGeorge Martin. During the production, Mills began a romantic relationship with Boulting; the two married in 1971.[26]
In 1967, Mills appeared inPretty Polly, a romantic drama set inSingapore, opposite Indian film starShashi Kapoor. She next starred in the psychological thrillerTwisted Nerve (1968), reuniting withThe Family Way co-starHywel Bennett. The controversial film, directed by Boulting, attracted attention for its unsettling themes. She followed this with the romantic comedyTake a Girl Like You (1970), co-starringOliver Reed, and made her West End stage debut in a 1970 production ofThe Wild Duck.[27]
Mills continued her collaboration with Boulting inMr. Forbush and the Penguins (1971), stepping into the lead female role after the original actress was replaced during production.[28] In 1972, she again starred opposite Bennett inEndless Night, a mystery-thriller based on the novel byAgatha Christie, featuringBritt Ekland,George Sanders, andPer Oscarsson. Throughout the mid-1970s, Mills took on roles in several British and international productions, includingWhat Changed Charley Farthing? (1974),[29]Deadly Strangers, andThe Kingfisher Caper (both 1975), the latter co-written by Boulting.[30]
FollowingThe Kingfisher Caper, Mills significantly reduced her feature film work but continued to act in occasional roles over the ensuing decades. She appeared as Miss Quinton in the television adaptationAppointment with Death (1988), and as Sally Ryan in the horror anthology filmAfter Midnight (1990). In 1994, she contributed her voice to the animated featureA Troll in Central Park, portraying the character Hillary.
In the 2000s, Mills took part in independent productions, including2BPerfectlyHonest (2004), in which she played Terri, and the short filmStricken (2005), where she portrayed Hildy. She later appeared in the family adventureMandie and the Cherokee Treasure (2010) as Mary Elizabeth Taft, adapted from theMandie book series, and in the dramaFoster (also known asAngel in the House, 2011) as Mrs. Lange.
Mills continued to appear sporadically in film thereafter. In 2021, she played Celia Towers in the time-travel dramaLast Train to Christmas, and in 2023, she portrayed Karen Walters inArthur’s Whisky.
In 2024, Mills appeared in a major American theatrical release in a supporting role as FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant inM. Night Shyamalan's psychological thrillerTrap. Her casting in the film was highlighted by Shyamalan and in media coverage as a notable and unexpected return for the actress.Trap marked Mills's first major role in a mainstream American film in nearly 60 years, following her performance inThe Trouble with Angels (1966).[31]
Mills's post-Disney career was marked by a conscious shift toward more adult and diverse roles. As one critic observed, "She was a movie star for about a decade... a genuine, old-school, above-the-title movie star: listed in box-office polls, the focus of a carefully-protected public image, signatory to a long-term contract with a studio who would try to craft vehicles for her. In fact, you could make an argument that Hayley Mills was one of the last stars for whom that last factor applied, at least in English-speaking cinema".[32]
In 1981, Mills returned to acting with a starring role in the UK television mini-seriesThe Flame Trees of Thika, based onElspeth Huxley's memoir of her childhood in East Africa. The series was well received, prompting her to accept more acting roles.[citation needed] She then returned to America and made two appearances onThe Love Boat in 1985, and an episode ofMurder, She Wrote in 1986.[citation needed]
Always welcomed at Disney, Mills narrated an episode ofThe Wonderful World of Disney, sparking renewed interest in her Disney work. In 1985, she was originally considered to voicePrincess Eilonwy in Disney's animated feature filmThe Black Cauldron, but was later replaced by the veteran British voice actressSusan Sheridan. Later, she reprised her roles as twins Sharon and Susan for a trio ofParent Trap television films:The Parent Trap II,Parent Trap III, andParent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon. She also starred as the title character in theDisney Channel-produced television seriesGood Morning, Miss Bliss in 1987. The show was cancelled after 13 episodes and the rights were acquired byNBC, which reformattedGood Morning, Miss Bliss intoSaved by the Bell without any further involvement from Mills. In recognition of her work withThe Walt Disney Company, she was awarded theDisney Legends award in 1998.[33]
Mills recalled her childhood in the 2000 documentary filmSir John Mills' Moving Memories, which was directed byMarcus Dillistone and produced by her brother Jonathan.[citation needed] In 2005 she appeared in the acclaimed short film,Stricken, written and directed by Jayce Bartok.[citation needed] From 2007 to 2012, she appeared as Caroline in theITV1 African vet dramaWild at Heart; her sisterJuliet Mills was a guest star in the drama, which was the first time they had appeared on screen together.[34]
In 2010, Mills appeared inMandie and the Cherokee Treasure, based on one of the popularMandie novels ofLois Gladys Leppard. In 2011, she starred in the filmFoster alongsideToni Collette. Mills guest-starred in episodes ofMidsomer Murders andMoving On in 2014.[citation needed] In 2019, she had a role in the television seriesPitching In set at a holiday park in Wales. In 2021, Mills playedMichael Sheen's mother in the filmLast Train to Christmas, and in 2022 she had a recurring role in the television thriller seriesCompulsion.[citation needed]
In February 2023 she appeared in the fifth series of the ITV crime dramaUnforgotten as Lady Emma Hume.[35] In September 2023, Mills appeared in an episode ofThe Wheel of Time.[36]
Mills made her stage debut in a 1969West End revival ofPeter Pan.[37][38]
In 1991 she appeared asAnna Leonowens in the Australian production ofThe King and I.[citation needed] In 1997, Mills starred in the U.S. national tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein'sThe King and I.[39]
In 2000 she made herOff-Broadway debut in SirNoël Coward'sSuite in Two Keys, opposite American actressJudith Ivey, for which she won aTheatre World Award.[citation needed] In 2001, Mills starred as Desiree Armfeldt in a production of "A Little Night Music" in Seattle, Washington. It was a co-production with the city's A Contemporary Theatre and the Fifth Avenue Theatre.[40][41]
In December 2007, for their annual birthday celebration of "The Master",The Noël Coward Society invited Mills as the guest celebrity to lay flowers in front of Coward's statue at New York'sGershwin Theatre, thereby commemorating the anniversary of the 108th birthday of Coward.[citation needed]
In 2012 she starred as Ursula Widdington in the stage production ofLadies in Lavender at theRoyal & Derngate Theatre, before embarking on a national UK tour.[citation needed] In 2015, she toured Australia with sisterJuliet Mills and Juliet's husbandMaxwell Caulfield in the comedyLegends! byJames Kirkwood.[42]
Mills starred in the 2018 Off-Broadway run of Isobel Mahon'sParty Face atCity Center.[43]
In 1966, while filmingThe Family Way, 20-year-old Mills met 53-year-old directorRoy Boulting. The two were married in 1971 and owned aflat in London'sChelsea andCobstone Windmill inIbstone,Buckinghamshire, which was later sold.[44] Their son,Crispian Mills, is the lead singer and guitarist for theraga rock bandKula Shaker. The couple divorced in 1977.[45]
Mills had a second son, Jason Lawson, born in July 1976,[46] during a relationship with actorLeigh Lawson.[47][48] She and Lawson split up in the early 1980s.[49]
In the 1980s, following her breakup with Lawson, Mills developed an interest in a number of Eastern religions.[49] She wrote the preface to the bookThe Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking, published in 1984,[50] although she was not a member ofHare Krishna.[49] In 1988, Mills co-edited, with Marcus Maclaine,My God: Letters from the Famous on God and the Life Hereafter (Pelham Books, 1988).[1]
Mills's partner since 1997 and as of 2023 is actor/writerFirdous Bamji, who is 20 years her junior. They met when touring playing the lead roles inThe King and I.[51][52][39]
In April 2008, Mills was diagnosed withbreast cancer. She had surgery and started, but quickly abandoned,chemotherapy after only three sessions because of the severity of the side effects. She credits her survival to the alternative treatments she used. She toldGood Housekeeping magazine in January 2012 that she had fully recovered.[52]
Mills published a memoir about her life and career,Forever Young: A Memoir, in September 2021.[23]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | So Well Remembered | Infant | Uncredited |
| 1959 | Tiger Bay | Gillie Evans | BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles |
| 1960 | Pollyanna | Pollyanna Whittier | Academy Juvenile Award note: Mills's miniature Oscar was later lost or stolen; the Academy rectified this by privately presenting Mills with a full-size Oscar replacement in 2023. |
| 1961 | The Parent Trap | Susan Evers / Sharon McKendrick | |
| Whistle Down the Wind | Kathy Bostock | ||
| 1962 | In Search of the Castaways | Mary Grant | |
| 1963 | Summer Magic | Nancy Carey | |
| 1964 | The Chalk Garden | Laurel | |
| The Moon-Spinners | Nikky Ferris | ||
| 1965 | The Truth About Spring | Spring Tyler | Alternative titles:The Pirates of Spring Cove andMiss Jude |
| That Darn Cat! | Patricia "Patti" Randall | ||
| Sky West and Crooked | Brydie White | Alternative title:Gypsy Girl | |
| 1966 | The Trouble with Angels | Mary Clancy | |
| The Daydreamer | The Little Mermaid | Voice role | |
| The Family Way | Jenny Fitton | ||
| 1967 | Africa: Texas Style | Blonde Girl at Airport | Cameo |
| Pretty Polly | Polly Barlow | Alternative title:A Matter of Innocence | |
| 1968 | Twisted Nerve | Susan Harper | |
| 1970 | Take a Girl Like You | Jenny Bunn | |
| 1971 | Mr. Forbush and the Penguins | Tara St. John Luke | Alternative title:Cry of the Penguins |
| 1972 | Endless Night | Fenella 'Ellie' Thomsen | |
| 1974 | What Changed Charley Farthing? | Jenny | Alternative title:The Bananas Boat |
| 1975 | Deadly Strangers | Belle Adams | |
| The Kingfisher Caper | Tracey Van Der Byl | Alternative title:Diamond Hunters andDiamond Lust | |
| 1988 | Appointment with Death | Miss Quinton | |
| 1990 | After Midnight | Sally Ryan | |
| 1994 | A Troll in Central Park | Hillary | Voice role |
| 2004 | 2BPerfectlyHonest | Terri | |
| 2005 | Stricken | Hildy | Short film |
| 2010 | Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure | Mary Elizabeth Taft | |
| 2011 | Foster | Mrs Lange | Alternative title:Angel in the House |
| 2021 | Last Train to Christmas | Celia Towers | |
| 2024 | Arthur's Whisky | Karen Walters | |
| Trap | Dr. Josephine Grant |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The Prisoner | Magazine Model | Episode: "Hammer into Anvil" |
| 1974 | Thriller | Samantha Miller | Episode: "Only a Scream Away" |
| 1979–1985 | The Love Boat | Cheryl Tyson/Leila Stanhope/Dianne Tipton | 4 episodes |
| 1981 | The Flame Trees of Thika | Tilly Grant | Miniseries (7 episodes) |
| 1983 | Tales of the Unexpected | Claire Hawksworth | Episode: "A Sad Loss" |
| 1986 | The Parent Trap II | Susan Carey / Sharon Ferris | Television film |
| Murder, She Wrote | Cynthia Tate | Episode: "Unfinished Business" | |
| Amazing Stories | Joan Simmons | Episode: "The Greibble" | |
| 1987–1989 | Good Morning, Miss Bliss | Miss Carrie Bliss | 14 episodes |
| 1989 | Parent Trap III | Susan Evers / Sharon Grand | Television film |
| Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon | Susan Wyatt / Sharon Grand | Television film | |
| 1990 | Back Home | Mrs Peggy Dickinson | Television film |
| 2007–2012 | Wild at Heart | Caroline Du Plessis | 39 episodes |
| 2014 | Midsomer Murders | Lizzy Thornfield | Episode: "Wild Harvest" |
| Moving On | Madge | Episode: "Madge" | |
| 2019 | Pitching In | Iona | 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Compulsion | Connie | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Unforgotten | Lady Emma Hume | 6 episodes |
| The Wheel of Time | Gitara Moroso | Episode: "Daes Dae'Mar" | |
| 2024 | Death in Paradise | Nancy Martin | Episode: "Your Number's Up" |
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Peter Pan | Peter Pan | |
| 1970 | Three Sisters | Irina | |
| 1970 | The Wild Duck | Hedvig | |
| 1972 | Trelawny of the 'Wells' | Rose Trelawny | |
| 1975 | A Touch of Spring | Alison | |
| 1977 | Rebecca | Mrs De Winter | |
| 1978 | My Fat Friend | ||
| 1978 | Hush And Hide | Laura Crozier | |
| 1979 | The Importance of Being Earnest | Gwendolina | |
| 1980 | The Summer Party | ||
| 1982 | Tally's Folly | Sally | |
| 1983 | Dial M for Murder | Margot Wendice | |
| 1983 | Secretary Bird | Liz Walford | |
| 1985 | Toys in the Attic | Carrie | |
| 1991 | The Kidnap Game | ||
| 1991 | The King and I | Anna | |
| 1992 | Fallen Angels | ||
| 1994 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | ||
| 1994 | Hamlet | Gertrude | |
| 1994 | The Card | Countess of Chell | |
| 1995 | Dead Guilty | Margaret | |
| 1996 | Brief Encounter | Laura Jesson | |
| 1997–1998 | The King and I | Anna | |
| 2000 | Suite in Two Keys | ||
| 2001 | A Little Night Music[53] | Desiree | National tour |
| 2001 | Sister Mozart | ||
| 2001 | Vagina Monologues | ||
| 2003 | Humble Boy | Flora | |
| 2003 | Wait Until Dark | Suzy Hendrix | |
| 2005 | The Bird Sanctuary | ||
| 2005 | Two Can Play | Mary | |
| 2012 | Ladies in Lavender | Ursula | |
| 2015 | Cinderella[54] | Fairy Godmother | Pantomime; at theRichmond Theatre, London |
| 2015 | Legends![55] | Leatrice Monsee | With Juliet Mills |
| 2018 | Party Face[56] | Carmel | |
| 2022–2023 | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel[57] | Evelyn Greenslade |
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Berlin International Film Festival | Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury[58] | Tiger Bay | Won |
| 1961 | BAFTA Awards | Best British Actress[59] | Pollyanna | Nominated |
| 1961 | Laurel Awards | Top Female New Personality[citation needed] | Won | |
| 1961 | Academy Award | Juvenile Award[6] | Pollyanna | Won |
| 1961 | Golden Globe Award | New Star of the Year – Actress[60] | Won | |
| 1962 | Golden Globe Award | Best Motion Picture Actress – Musical/Comedy[61] | The Parent Trap | Nominated |
| 1962 | BAFTA Awards | Best British Actress[62] | Whistle Down the Wind | Nominated |
| 1964 | Golden Globe Award | Best Motion Picture Actress – Musical/Comedy[broken anchor][63] | Summer Magic | Nominated |
| Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Hayley Mills | ||||
| Released | 1962 | |||
| Recorded | 1961 | |||
| Genre | Vocal pop | |||
| Length | 20:14 | |||
| Label | Vista | |||
| Producer | Camarata | |||
| Hayley Mills chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills | ||||
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Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills, released in 1962, was Mills' only solo album. It had the million-selling song "Let's Get Together" and "Johnny Jingo".
[from] Brian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of British Film
British actress Hayley Mills and Leigh Lawson with son Jason, raising voice outside London hospital where he was born July 30.
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