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| Brenda Forbes | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dorothy Brenda Taylor (1909-01-14)January 14, 1909 Wandsworth, London, UK |
| Died | September 11, 1996(1996-09-11) (aged 87) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1931–1995 |
| Spouse | Merrill Shepard (1947–86; his death) |
Brenda Forbes (14 January 1909 – 11 September 1996) was a British-born American actress of stage and screen.
Personal life
Born as Dorothy Brenda Taylor in Wandsworth, London, the daughter of Ernest John and Ethel Louise Taylor. Her mother was actress Mary Forbes, and her elder brother was actor Ralph Forbes (né Ralph Forbes Taylor), she made her first film appearance in 1935 and her last in 1995. She appeared on Broadway between 1931 and 1985, mostly in revivals of classics.
Career
Forbes created the role of the outspoken maid, Wilson, in the original production of The Barretts of Wimpole Street opposite Katharine Cornell. She played the role in various revivals as well. She co-starred as Lady Vale in the 1967 musical Darling of the Day in which she and Peter Woodthorpe introduced the song Panache and appeared in the 1976 revival of My Fair Lady as Mrs. Higgins; also in that production was George Rose whom she starred with in the 1986 all star cast revival of Aren't We All?
On screen she appeared in several films over a 50-year period including The Imperfect Lady (1935) and Mrs. Miniver (1942). Her last role, a small one, was in The Jerky Boys: The Movie.
Family
She was married to Merrill Shepard from 1947 until his death in 1986; they had no children.
Death
She died from cancer in 1996, aged 87, in New York City.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | The Perfect Gentleman | Penelope - the Maid | |
| 1940 | Vigil in the Night | Nora Dunn | |
| 1941 | Miss Polly | Patsy | |
| 1942 | This Above All | Mae - Singer | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Mrs. Miniver | Gladys (Housemaid) | |
| 1944 | The White Cliffs of Dover | Gwennie | |
| 1995 | The Jerky Boys: The Movie | Rich Woman with Necklace at Tut's | (final film role) |
References
- ^ IBDb profile, ibdb.com; accessed 18 November 2015.
External links
Categories:- 1909 births
- 1996 deaths
- Actresses from London
- American film actresses
- American stage actresses
- British film actresses
- British stage actresses
- Deaths from cancer in New York (state)
- British emigrants to the United States
- Actors from the London Borough of Wandsworth
- 20th-century American actresses
- 20th-century English actresses
- People from Wandsworth