Claire Bloom (born February 15, 1931,London, England) is an English dramatic actress noted for her moving portrayals of Shakespearean heroines. She appeared on stage, in television, and in motion pictures.

Bloom studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. At age 14 she tried out for the part ofJuliet with the Shakespeare Memorial Company (later theRoyal Shakespeare Company) in Stratford-upon-Avon; in 1948 at Stratford she was cast asOphelia inHamlet, Blanche inKing John, and Perdita inThe Winter’s Tale. She won praise for her early motion-picture role as a ballet dancer, playing oppositeCharlie Chaplin in thefilmLimelight (1952). She performed with theOld Vic company (1952–53) and subsequently successfullycombined a stage career with films.

Some of Bloom’s more notable movies includedRichard III (1955),The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965),Charly (1968),Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989),Mighty Aphrodite (1995), andThe King’s Speech (2010). She also frequently appeared on television. Bloom had roles in such series asDoctor Who,Doc Martin, andSummer Rockets, and her numerous TV movies includedShadowlands (1985), for which she won a BAFTA award. In addition, for her performance in the miniseriesBrideshead Revisited (1981), she received anEmmy Award nomination.

Britannica Quiz

Pop Culture Quiz

Bloom published an autobiography,Limelight and After, in 1982. She was named a Commander of the Order of theBritish Empire (CBE) in 2013.