Jennifer Hilary


Jennifer Mary Hilary 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.

Career

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, Isabel, Cilla Curtis and Cecily Cardew. She went on to act with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
She debuted across the pond in 1963, performing in Jean Anouilh's The Rehearsal. 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. She returned to New York to play the doomed "Sasha" in Chekhov's Ivanov at the Shubert Theatre in 1966. Back in London, she played "Ginny" in the hit 1967 production of Alan Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking.

Later years

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.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards

In 1961 she was awarded the Bancroft Gold Medal.

Death

Hilary died on 6 August 2008 in London from cancer, aged 65.