Eileen Atkins
- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Eileen Atkins was born in a Salvation Army Women's Hostel in north
London. Her father was a gas meter reader; her mother, a seamstress and
barmaid. A drama teacher taught her how to drop her Cockney accent, and
she studied Shakespeare and Greek tragedies. Her breakthrough role in
"The Killing of Sister George" took her to Broadway.
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 10 wins & 13 nominations total
Actress
Writer
Additional Crew
- Alternative name
- Dame Eileen Atkins
- Height
- 5′ 6½″ (1.69 m)
- Born
- SpousesBill ShepherdFebruary 2, 1978 - June 24, 2016 (his death)
- ParentsArthur Thomas Atkins
- Other worksHer National Theatre credits include: Honor in the UK premiere of "Honour" by Joanna Murray-Smith (2003), Gunhild in Ibsen's "John Gabriel Borkman" (1996), Hannah in "Night of the Iguana" by Tennessee Williams (1996), Paulina in Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" and the Queen in "Cymbeline" (both 1988, also world tour), the elderly woman in "Mountain Language" a new play by Harold Pinter (1988), Mrs Hitchcock in "Sergeant Musgrave's Dance" by John Arden (1984), Jenet in "The Lady's Not For Burning" by Christopher Fry (1978), Hesione in Shaw's "Heartbreak House" (1975), and Alice 'Childie' McNaught in "The Killing of Sister George" a new play by 'Frank Marcus' (1964, also NYC).
- Publicity listings
- TriviaShe has no children. She stated in an interview with the Radio Times that she has never had any maternal instinct and put that down to the fact that she did not get on with her mother.
- QuotesIn England, as here, there are always two kinds of audiences: the Royal Shakespeare and the West End. In the last 10 years, audiences have been changed by television. One can tell: people don't concentrate and they expect lighter fare - and I do hate disappointing the audiences. One lady came up to me afterwards here, very complimentary, and then she said 'Well, this is terrible heavy.' And I thought 'Oh dear, you think this is heavy? Because it isn't, it's just serious.
FAQ10
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