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by David K. Smith and Alan Hayes Honor Blackman was born either 22 August 1926 or 12
December 1927, depending on your source, in London, England, and credits her father for her
acting career—unusual, given that her family was not especially wealthy. For her
fifteenth birthday he offered her a choice: a bicycle or elocution classes. Feeling her
accent was becoming a bit too Cockney, she chose the latter. Her teacher advised her
father to enroll her in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, which she attended
part-time while working as an office clerk. Upon graduation, her father once again influenced her career by suggesting that she
audition as an understudy in a West End play, The Guinea Pig. When the show's
lead actress fell ill, Honor had her first "big break." This led to her first
film appearance, a non-speaking part in Fame is the Spur, wherein she was
killed by a cavalryman—and she was nearly killed for
real by a horse that stepped on her hair while she was lying on the ground. After a string of unremarkable "English rose" type film roles
while working as a contract player for the Rank Organisation, Honor struck
gold when Leonard White hired her for the part of Cathy Gale. Tony Arnell, casting
director, says, "I put Honor’s name forward simply because when I was at
Spotlight I remember she used to come and see a colleague of mine for help and advice. She
was way down on her luck. I think her health wasn't good, her father had died, her
marriage was up the creek—she was way down on her suppers, but she still looked
amazing... Some people worried that her accent was 'too Kensington,' but I didn't think
that mattered at all." Honor had married actor Maurice Kaufmann
six months before being cast as
Cathy Gale. The couple would often help each other learn lines for upcoming
performances, and The Avengers was no exception. They enacted many
Avengers scripts together at home, and this habit was even noted in a TV
Times article in November 1963, with a photo of Kaufmann complete with a
walking stick which doubled for Steed's umbrella! After two seasons she decided to leave the series before the part got stale,
ostensibly, and she returned to film. Her stint as an expert in hand-to-hand combat won
her the juicy role of Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, after which she expanded into
fantasy, horror and comedy vehicles. Honor has twice been the featured guest on the long-running tribute
program, This is Your Life, on 17 December 1969 (Thames TV) and
again on 17 February 1993 (BBC TV). She is involved with an organization called Fairtrade,
which aims to ensure that
third world producers get treated fairly and can actually make a living from their work.
It is not clear whether she's actively supporting it or just allowing her name to be used,
but she was on the front cover of one of their newsletters and was quoted saying how much
she supported the organization.
- BAFTA (2000) for The Avengers
- CBE (2002) — declined
Stage |
200? |
Wayward Women |
200? |
Dishonorable Ladies |
200? |
Mademoiselle Colombe |
Madame Alexandre |
199? |
The Glass Menagerie |
Amanda |
1998 |
Old World |
1995 |
School for Scandal |
Lady Sneerwell |
19?? |
The Life and Times of Yvette Guilbert |
1987 |
Nunsense |
Sister Mary Regina |
19?? |
The Guinea Pig |
19?? |
On Your Toes |
Peggy Porterfield |
19?? |
Rose |
Rose |
19?? |
Agnes of God |
Mother Miriam Ruth |
19?? |
Foxtrot |
Elizabeth Harris |
19?? |
The Sound of Music |
The Baroness |
19?? |
Rose |
Rose |
19?? |
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime |
Lady Windermere |
19?? |
Heartbreak House |
Lady Utterwood |
19?? |
The Way of the World |
Millament |
19?? |
A Little Night Music |
Desiree Armfeldt |
19?? |
The Deep Blue Sea |
19?? |
Who Killed Santa Claus? |
19?? |
Wait Until Dark |
| |
Film |
2001 |
Jack Brown and the Curse of the Crown |
Madeline Dubouir |
2001 |
Bridget Jones's Diary |
Penny Husbands-Bosworth |
1999 |
To Walk With Lions |
Joy Adamson |
1998 |
Tale of the Mummy |
Chief Inspector Shea |
1989 |
Ingrid |
1978 |
The Cat and the Canary |
Susan Sillsby |
1977 |
Age of Innocence, a.k.a. Ragtime Summer |
Mrs. Boswell |
1976 |
To the Devil a Daughter |
Anna Fountain |
1974 |
The Three Musketeers |
(uncredited) |
1971 |
Something Big |
Mary Anna Morgan |
1971 |
Fright, a.k.a. Night Legs |
Helen |
1970 |
The Last Grenade |
Katherine Whiteley |
1970 |
The Virgin and the Gypsy |
Mrs. Fawcett |
1969 |
Lola a.k.a. Twinky |
Mummy |
1969 |
Child Bride |
1968 |
The Fight for Rome, a.k.a. The Last Roman |
Amalaswintha |
1968 |
A Twist of Sand |
Julie Chambois |
1968 |
Shalako |
Lady Baggett |
1965 |
Moment to Moment |
Daphne Fields |
1965 |
Life at the Top |
Norah Hauxley |
1965 |
The Secret of My Success |
Lily, Baroness von Lukenberg |
1964 |
Goldfinger |
Pussy Galore |
1963 |
Jason and the Argonauts |
Hera |
1962 |
Serena |
Ann Rogers |
1961 |
A Matter of Who |
Sister Bryan |
1958 |
The Bank Raiders |
1958 |
A Night to Remember |
Mrs. Liz Lucas |
1958 |
The Square Peg |
Lesley Cartland |
1957 |
Account Rendered |
Sarah Hayward |
1957 |
You Pay Your Money |
Susie Westlake |
1956 |
Diplomatic Passport |
Marelle |
1956 |
Suspended Alibi |
Lynn Pearson |
1955 |
Breakaway |
Paula Grant |
1955 |
The Glass Cage, a.k.a. The Glass Tomb |
Jenny Pelham |
1954 |
The Delavine Affair, a.k.a. Murder is News |
Maxine Banner |
1954 |
The Rainbow Jacket |
Mrs Tyler |
1951 |
Green Grow the Rushes, a.k.a. Brandy Ashore |
Meg Cuffley |
1951 |
Come Die My Love |
1950 |
So Long at the Fair |
Rhoda O'Donovan |
1949 |
A Boy, a Girl, and a Bike |
Susie Bates |
1949 |
Conspirator |
Joyce |
1949 |
Diamond City |
Mary Hart |
1948 |
Quartet |
Paula |
1948 |
Daughter of Darkness |
Julie Tallent |
1948 |
Homecoming |
(uncredited) |
1947 |
Golden Earrings |
1946 |
Fame Is the Spur |
| |
Teleplays/TV Movies |
1994 |
The Secret Garden |
Voice of Mrs. Medlock |
1990 |
Voice of the Heart |
Doric Asterman |
1985 |
Minder on the Orient Express |
Helen Spender |
1984 |
The First Olympics: Athens 1896 |
Ursula Schumann |
1984 |
Lace |
Selma |
1982 |
The Secret Adversary |
Rita Vandemeyer |
1962 |
An Agent for the Plantiff |
| |
TV Series |
2001 |
Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (miniseries) |
Jules |
2000 |
The Sight |
Margaret Smith |
1990 |
The Upper Hand |
Laura West |
1981 |
Never The Twain |
Veronica Barton |
1962 |
The Avengers |
Catherine Gale |
1959 |
Probation Officer |
Iris Cope |
1959 |
The Four Just Men (Dan Dailey episodes) |
Nicole |
1958 |
The Adventures of Charlie Chan |
| |
TV Guest Appearances |
2001 |
Dr Terrible's House of Horrible |
"Lesbian Vampire Lovers of Lust" |
Transeet van Eyre |
2000 |
Doctors |
"A Helping Hand" |
Rachel Knott |
1999 |
Blondes |
"Diana Dors" |
Herself |
1999 |
The James Bond Story |
Herself (uncredited) |
1998 |
So... Graham Norton |
Herself |
1992 |
Without Walls |
"Avenging the Avengers" |
Herself |
1986 |
Doctor Who |
"The Trial of a Timelord" |
Professor Lasky |
1977 |
Robin's Nest |
"Love and Marriage" |
Marion Nicholls |
1972 |
Boney |
"Boney in Venom House" |
Mary Answorth |
1972 |
Columbo |
"Dagger of the Mind" |
Lilian Stanhope |
1963 |
Ghost Squad |
"Princess" |
Laura |
1962 |
The Saint |
"The Arrow of God" |
Pauline Stone |
1961 |
Top Secret |
1961 |
The Vise |
"The Lady Doesn't Scare" |
Sally Evans |
1960 |
Danger Man |
"Colonel Rodriguez" |
Joan Bernard |
1959 |
The Vise |
"Deep in the Heart of Chelsea" |
Syd Lewis |
1958 |
The Invisible Man |
"Blind Justice" |
Katherine Holt |
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