Anna Raymond Massey, CBE (11 August 1937 – 3 July 2011) was an English actress. She won a BAFTA Award for the role of Edith Hope in the 1986 TV adaptation of Anita Brookner's novel Hotel du Lac in a role which one of her co-stars, Julia McKenzie, has said "could have been written for her."
[on being directed by Alfred Hitchcock in Frenzy (1972)] Early on he was concerned about every detail - clothes and colours and sets and dressings. But then he got slow physically. Off the set the only conversation that seemed to interest him was about food - he taught me how to make a good batter - and later I realised that this was apt at a time we were making a film so crowded with food.
2
[on Alfred Hitchcock] He would always before a take tell you some dirty schoolboy joke. He did that to relax you because it relaxed him.
3
I'm not instinctive. It takes enormous discipline and bravery to get me there [playing a role].
4
Actors marrying each other is not a good idea.
5
Theatre eats up too much of your family life. I have a grandson and a husband and I'd rather I was able to be a granny and a wife.
6
My education finished at fifteen; if I'd stayed at school I'm not sure I'd have become an actor.
7
I think however old and blind and prune-like one may look, the spirit that goes on inside you stays young and flirtatious.
She was only two when her parents were divorced and she almost never met her famous father during her childhood (he was working mostly in America by then); she described their relations in her adult life as cordial but distant and said that being Raymond Massey's daughter was "rather like being one of the daughters of King Lear". She also called him the most self-absorbed man she had ever met, pointing out that both she and her brother Daniel had "Raymond" as a middle name.
3
She lives in London, England. [January 2007]
4
Had her only child at age 22 -- a son, David Raymond William Huggins (aka David Huggins) -- on August 14, 1959, with her first husband, the late actor Jeremy Brett.
5
At the height of her affliction with depression and stage fright, she also suffered from anorexia, her hair consequently turning from chestnut to white.
6
Had a strained relationship with her brother Daniel until a reconciliation in 1998.
7
Her trademark bob haircut stemmed from a desire 'to look like Audrey Hepburn'.
Her father Raymond Massey insisted that Anna should have the middle name Raymond, even though it is a man's name.
10
Disclosed in her 2006 memoir, 'Telling Some Tales' that she was often plagued by stage fright and depression.
11
Was awarded the British Academy TV Award for Best Actress for her role in "Hotel du Lac" in 1986.
12
Grandson, Dan Huggins, was born in 2002 to David Huggins and his wife, Madeleine Christie.
13
Appeared with her former husband, Jeremy Brett, in the 1979 BBC television production of "Rebecca", where he played "Maxim de Winter" and she played his housekeeper, "Mrs. Danvers".
14
Won a Tony Award nomination as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for "The Reluctant Debutante" in 1957 at the age of 19.
15
She was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2005 Queen's New Year Honours List for her services to drama.
16
She was awarded the 1982 London Critics' Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Supporting Actress of 1981 for her performance in 'A Kind of Alaska.".
17
She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1983 (1982 season) for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for "The Importance of Being Earnest".
Daughter of the actors Raymond Massey and Adrianne Allen, grand-daughter of Chester D Massey, the wealthy owner of the Massey-Ferguson tractor company, and niece of the Canadian politician Vincent Massey.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Act of Memory: A Christmas Story
2011
Short
Older Maria
Moving On
2010
TV Series
Bella
Agatha Christie's Poirot
2009
TV Series
Miss Pebmarsh
Midsomer Murders
1998-2009
TV Series
Brenda Packard / Honoria Lyddiard
Kingdom
2009
TV Series
Winifred
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
2008
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. D'Urberville
Affinity
2008/I
Miss Haxby
The Oxford Murders
2008
Mrs. Eagleton
Oliver Twist
2007
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. Bedwin
Inspector Lewis
2007
TV Series
Prof. Margaret Gold
The Gigolos
2006
Edwina
Pinochet's Last Stand
2006
TV Movie
Baroness Thatcher
A Good Murder
2006
TV Movie
Phyllis
The Worst Week of My Life
2005
TV Series
Aunt Yvonne
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
2005
Mrs. Arbuthnot
The Robinsons
2005
TV Series
Pam Robinson
Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures
2004
TV Movie
Older Agatha
Belonging
2004
TV Movie
Brenda
He Knew He Was Right
2004
TV Mini-Series
Miss Stanbury
The Machinist
2004
Mrs. Shrike
Strange
2003
TV Series
Miss Emily Hawthorne
Possession
2002
Lady Bailey
An Angel for May
2002
TV Movie
Rosie
The Importance of Being Earnest
2002
Miss Prism
Dark Blue World
2001
English Teacher
Nash Bridges
2001
TV Series
Cindy
Come and Go
2000
TV Short
Vi
The Sleeper
2000
TV Mini-Series
Lillian
Room to Rent
2000
Sarah Stevenson
Mad Cows
1999
Dwina Phelps
Captain Jack
1999
Phoebe
A Respectable Trade
1998
TV Mini-Series
Sarah Cole
Déjà Vu
1997
Fern Stoner
The Slab Boys
1997
Miss Elsie Walkinshaw
Driftwood
1997
Mother
Sweet Angel Mine
1996
Mother
Haunted
1995
Nanny Tess Webb
Angels and Insects
1995
Miss Mead
Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets
1995
Mrs. Giblet
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends
1995
TV Series
Mrs. Tittlemouse
Murder in Mind
1994
TV Movie
Rosemary
Nice Day at the Office
1994
TV Series
Janice Troutbeck
Screen One
1994
TV Series
Rosemary
A Skirt Through History
1994
TV Series
Dr. James Barrie
Young Indiana Jones
1993
TV Series
Gertrude Bell
Alleyn Mysteries
1993
TV Series
Ruth O'Callaghan
The Return of the Psammead
1993
TV Series
Aunt Marchmont
Emily's Ghost
1992
Miss Rabstock
Bookmark
1992
TV Series
Imogen Smallwood
Noblesse Oblige
1992
Video short
Religious Sister
Chillers
1992
TV Series
Kate Greeves
Inspector Morse
1992
TV Series
Lady Emily Balcombe
The Darling Buds of May
1991-1992
TV Series
Mlle. Antoinette Dupont
The Diamond Brothers
1991
TV Series
Mrs. Bodega
Impromptu
1991
George Sand's Mother
Sea Dragon
1990
TV Series
Prioress
Killing Dad or How to Love Your Mother
1990
Edith
Mountains of the Moon
1990
Mrs. Arundell
Screen Two
1986-1990
TV Series
Julia Wallace / Edith Hope / Nina
4 Play
1989
TV Series
Mamma
A Tale of Two Cities
1989
TV Mini-Series
Miss Pross
Around the World in 80 Days
1989
TV Mini-Series
Queen Victoria
The Tall Guy
1989
Mary
Tears in the Rain
1988
TV Movie
Lady Emily
La couleur du vent
1988
Norma
Sun Child
1988
TV Movie
Marcia Burrows
A Hazard of Hearts
1987
TV Movie
Eudora
The Christmas Tree
1986
TV Movie
Constance
Season's Greetings
1986
TV Movie
Rachel
Foreign Body
1986
Miss Furze
The Day After the Fair
1986
TV Movie
Letty
Theatre Night
1985
TV Series
Miss. Kirby
Summer Season
1985
TV Series
Venables
Anna Karenina
1985
TV Movie
Betsy
Sacred Hearts
1985
Sister Thomas
The Chain
1984
Betty
The Little Drummer Girl
1984
Chairlady
Sakharov
1984
TV Movie
Klavdia
Another Country
1984
Imogen Bennett
Play for Today
1984
TV Series
Radio Voice
Mansfield Park
1983
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. Norris
Five Days One Summer
1982
Jennifer Pierce
BBC Play of the Month
1966-1982
TV Series
Tiburina / Myra Arundel / Caroline
I Remember Nelson
1982
TV Series
Lady Frances Nelson
Celebrity Playhouse
1981
TV Series
Sara Callifer
BBC2 Playhouse
1976-1981
TV Series
Virginia Fly / Isabella Ridout
The Cherry Orchard
1981
TV Movie
Charlotte
ITV Playhouse
1969-1981
TV Series
Mummy / Jemima / Cynthia Randolph / ...
The Mystery of the Disappearing Schoolgirls
1980
TV Movie
Miss Fitzroy Robinson
Tales of the Unexpected
1980
TV Series
Irene Wrzaszcyzk
Sweet William
1980
Edna McClusky
Hazell
1979
TV Series
Helen Bryers
A Little Romance
1979
Ms. Siegel
Rebecca
1979
TV Mini-Series
Mrs. Danvers
Afternoon Off
1979
TV Movie
Coffee Shop Owner
The Corn Is Green
1979
TV Movie
Miss Ronberry
The Mayor of Casterbridge
1978
TV Mini-Series
Lucetta Farfrae
Lucetta Templeman
Couples
1976
TV Series
Paula Bagnold
Churchill's People
1975
TV Series
Queen Ealhswith
The Pallisers
1974
TV Mini-Series
Laura Kennedy / Laura Standish
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1970-1973
TV Series
Jane / Christiana Edmunds / Nora Helmer
A Doll's House
1973/I
Kristine Linde
The Vault of Horror
1973
Donna (segment 1 "Midnight Mess")
Dead of Night
1972
TV Series
Jane Pullar
The Man Outside
1972
TV Series
Sally
Frenzy
1972
Babs Milligan
Love Story
1966-1972
TV Series
Rosemary / Ellen Dolan
Wicked Women
1970
TV Series
Christiana Edmund
David Copperfield
1970
TV Movie
Jane Murdstone
The Looking Glass War
1970
Avery's Wife
De Sade
1969
Renée de Montreuil
W. Somerset Maugham
1969
TV Series
Millicent Bannon
The Sunday Play
1968
TV Series
Audrey Robertson
Jackanory
1966-1967
TV Series
Storyteller
Armchair Theatre
1966
TV Series
June Elliott
Seven Deadly Sins
1966
TV Series
Julia
Bunny Lake Is Missing
1965
Elvira
ITV Play of the Week
1955-1964
TV Series
Titania / Rain Carter / Jacqueline
Le voyage à Biarritz
1963
Marjorie Robertson
Peeping Tom
1960
Helen Stephens
Gideon of Scotland Yard
1958
Sally Gideon
Theatre Night
1957
TV Series
Penelope Shawn
The Reluctant Debutante
1955
TV Movie
Jane
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Agatha Christie's Poirot
2009
TV Series in memory of - 1 episode
Reputations
1999
TV Series documentary with thanks to - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock
2009
TV Movie documentary
Herself
Thatcher
2008
Video documentary
Narrator (voice)
British Film Forever
2007
TV Mini-Series documentary
Herself
Breakfast
2006
TV Series
Herself - Guest
Christmas Under Fire
2002
TV Movie documentary
Herself - Reader (voice)
Manor House
2002
TV Mini-Series documentary
Voice of the Rule Book
The Story of 'Frenzy'
2001
Video documentary
Herself
Elizabeth's Pirates
2001
TV Movie documentary
Narrator
Ruby
1997-1998
TV Series
Herself - Guest
A Very British Psycho
1997
TV Movie documentary
Herself
The War Within: A Portrait of Virginia Woolf
1996
Documentary
Virginia Woolf (voice)
Coral Browne: Caviar for the General
1989
TV Special
Herself
BAFTA British Academy Awards
1989
TV Special
Herself
Omnibus
1981-1988
TV Series documentary
Herself
The Theatre Quiz
1981
TV Series
Herself - Panellist
Don't Say a Word
1964
TV Series
Herself - Guest
Alan Melville Takes You from A-Z
1958
TV Series
Herself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Tales of Television Centre
2012
TV Movie documentary
Herself (uncredited)
23 premios Goya
2009
TV Special
Mrs. Eagleton (uncredited)
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of Change
2008
Video
Gertrude Bell
Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film