Elizabeth Spender
Born1950 (age 73–74)
OccupationActress
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1990; died 2023)​
Parent(s)Stephen Spender
Natasha Spender
RelativesMatthew Spender (brother)

Elizabeth Spender (born 1950) is a film and television actress known for her role in Brazil.

Early life and education

Spender is the daughter of concert pianist Natasha Spender (née Litvin) and the poet, novelist and essayist Stephen Spender.[1][2] She studied drama at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Drama Centre London.[3] She also attended an Arvon Foundation television play-writing course which was taught by Jack Rosenthal.[3]

Career

Among numerous television and film credits, she appeared in Terry Gilliam's 1985 cult film Brazil.[4]

She has written two BBC TV dramas: Hedgehog Wedding (1987) produced by Innes Lloyd,[5][3] and These Foolish Things (1989)[6][7] which starred Lindsay Duncan.[8] In the 1990s she wrote a series of Pastability cookbooks.[9][3] In 2005 she published a memoir of her childhood, The Wild Horse Diaries (ISBN 9780733619755).[10][7][11][12]

Personal life

From 1990 until his death in 2023, she was married to the Australian actor and satirist Barry Humphries.[13] They had met at a Groucho Club party in 1988.[7]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Priest of Love Elsa Weekley
1985 Brazil Alison / 'Barbara' Lint
1987 The Felons Florence
1996 The Leading Man Anne

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Frankenstein: The True Story Ballroom Guest Television film
1979 Feet First Fay Faith Episode #1.3
1979 Premiere Trudi Episode: "Over There"
1979 Testament of Youth Christina Episode: "1918"
1980 The Professionals Helen Tippett Episode: "Blood Sports"
1980 BBC2 Playhouse Constance Episode: "The Happy Autumn Fields"
1981 Something in Disguise Annabel Episode: "A New Life"
1982 Nancy Astor Henrietta Episode: "Scandals"
1984 Oxbridge Blues Girl at party Episode: "The Muse"
1984 The Secret Servant Melinda Fay 2 episodes
1984 Talk to Me Kate Television film
1986 ScreenPlay Magdalena Hofdemel Episode: "The Mozart Inquest"
1988 Sherlock Holmes Laura Lyons Episode: "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
1991 Selling Hitler Valkyrie / Marlene 4 episodes
1998–1999 Fast Tracks Judy Brumfield 3 episodes
2023 Barry Humphries: A Tribute — Television special

References

  1. ↑ Hornery, Andrew (April 21, 2023). "Humphries' family gathers from around the globe". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  2. ↑ "Unbridled Passion". House & Garden. August 2015. pp. 53–57.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Rolling the credits for a Spender". Evening Standard. 24 March 1987. p. 31. Retrieved 29 April 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Elizabeth Spender". BFI. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  5. ↑ "Hedgehog Wedding (1987)". BFI. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  6. ↑ "These Foolish Things (1989)". BFI. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  7. 1 2 3 "The kindness of famous friends". Sunday Independent (Ireland) – Living Section. 25 September 2005. p. 5. Retrieved 29 April 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Fooling Around With Love". Daily Mirror. 28 February 1989. p. 19. Retrieved 29 April 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ Dowe, Michael (15 Oct 1991). "Italian Treats for Non-Italians". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 43.
  10. ↑ Spender, Stephen (3 July 2012). New Selected Journals, 1939-1995. Faber and Faber. p. 542. ISBN 978-0-571-29411-4.
  11. ↑ "The horse was my baby". The Sunday Telegraph. 28 August 2005. p. 38. Retrieved 29 April 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "The pony-mad child inside". www.telegraph.co.uk. 11 September 2005. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "Barry Humphries facts: Dame Edna comedian's age, career, wife, children and more revealed". Smooth.
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