Mona Washbourne | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Mona Lee Washbourne (1903-11-27)27 November 1903 Solihull,Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 15 November 1988(1988-11-15) (aged 84) London, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1924–1984 |
| Spouse | |
Mona Lee Washbourne (27 November 1903 – 15 November 1988) was anEnglish actress of stage, film, and television.[1][2] Her most critically acclaimed role was in the filmStevie (1978), late in her career, for which she was nominated for aGolden Globe Award and aBAFTA Award. She had, in1977, won theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in theplay it was based on.[3]
Mona Washbourne was born inSparkhill, Birmingham, and began her entertaining career training as aconcert pianist.[4][5][6] Her sister Kathleen Washbourne was a violinist with theBBC Symphony Orchestra under SirAdrian Boult.
Washbourne was performing professionally from the early 1920s.[5] She married the actorBasil Dignam.[5] Her brother-in-lawMark Dignam was also a stage and film actor.[7] In 1948, after numerous stage musical performances, Washbourne began appearing in films.[8] Her film credits include the horror movieThe Brides of Dracula,Billy Liar (1963) andThe Collector (1965).[9] She is probably best known to American audiences for her role as housekeeper Mrs. Pearce inMy Fair Lady (1964). She also appeared as the stern and caustic Mrs. Bramson in the remake ofNight Must Fall (also 1964), and the Matron in the film,If.... (1968).[2]
She appeared at both theRoyal Court Theatre in London and onBroadway in 1970 inDavid Storey'sHome.[10] She was nominated for theTony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play.[11] In 1975 she appeared on the West End stage withJames Stewart in a revival ofMary Chase's playHarvey, in the role originally taken byJosephine Hull.[12] Washbourne won the1981 New York Film Critics' Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actress inStevie (1978).[13]
In 1981, Washbourne appeared inGranada Television'sTV miniseries adaptation ofEvelyn Waugh's novelBrideshead Revisited as Nanny Hawkins.[14] One of her last television appearances was inWhere's the Key? (1983),[15] a BBC play aboutAlzheimer's disease.
She died in 1988, aged 84, in London.[16]
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| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role | Stevie | Won | [26] |
| 1971 | Tony Awards | Best Supporting or Featured Actress in a Play | Home | Nominated | [27] |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
