English movie stars born in 1908
Here are 6 famous actresses from England were born in 1908:
Celia Johnson
Celia Johnson (December 18, 1908 Richmond, London-April 25, 1982 Nettlebed) otherwise known as Celia Elizabeth Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Dame Celia Johnson, Dame Celia Elizabeth Johnson or Betty was an English actor. She had three children, Lucy Fleming, Nicholas Peter Val Fleming and Kate Fleming.
Johnson began her acting career in 1928 and made her stage debut in 1930. She gained critical acclaim for her performances in classic plays such as "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "Hay Fever". Johnson's breakthrough role came in 1945, when she starred in the romantic drama "Brief Encounter", directed by David Lean. Her performance as a housewife who falls in love with a stranger garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Aside from her career in film and theatre, Johnson was also involved in charitable and humanitarian work. She was a supporter of various causes such as Save the Children Fund and Christian Aid. In 1957, she was appointed as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to drama.
Johnson continued to act in films throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including "The Captain's Paradise" and "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie". She also appeared on television, including in the series "A Family at War". Her last film role was in "The Birthday Party" in 1968. Johnson passed away in 1982 at the age of 73.
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Jill Esmond
Jill Esmond (January 26, 1908 London-July 28, 1990 Wandsworth) also known as Jill Esmond Moore or Jill Esmond-Moore was an English actor. She had one child, Tarquin Olivier.
Esmond began her acting career on stage before transitioning to film. She appeared in several notable films in the 1930s, including "The Skin Game" (1931) and "Pygmalion" (1938), which also starred her ex-husband, Laurence Olivier. Esmond and Olivier were married from 1930 to 1940, and their son Tarquin also went on to become an actor. Despite her early success in acting, Esmond eventually chose to focus on raising her son and taking care of her aging mother. She later worked as a drama teacher and continued to be involved in the theater community until her death in 1990.
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Adele Dixon
Adele Dixon (June 3, 1908 London-April 11, 1992 Manchester) was an English actor.
She began her career in the 1920s as a dancer and went on to become a prolific actress on stage and screen. Dixon appeared in numerous West End productions and toured throughout the United Kingdom and abroad. She also appeared in several films, including "The Next of Kin" (1942) and "Corridor of Mirrors" (1948).
During World War II, Dixon worked as an entertainer for the Allied troops, traveling to North Africa, Italy, and France. She was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 1957 for her services to the theater.
Dixon retired from acting in the early 1980s but remained active in the entertainment industry, serving on the board of directors for the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. She passed away in 1992 at the age of 83.
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Renee Roberts
Renee Roberts (September 24, 1908-February 1, 1996) was an English actor. She had two children, Roberta Frankau and Rosemary Frankau.
Roberts began her acting career in the early 1930s, appearing in stage productions in London’s West End. She made her screen debut in the 1933 film "The Private Life of Henry VIII", and went on to appear in more than 50 films over the course of her career. Some of her notable films include "The Saint in London" (1939), "The Adventures of Tartu" (1943), and "The Curse of the Werewolf" (1961). Aside from her work in film, Roberts was also a prolific stage actress, appearing in productions of plays by notable playwrights such as George Bernard Shaw and Tennessee Williams. In her later years, Roberts became a beloved character actress, often playing grandmothers or eccentric relatives. She passed away in London in 1996 at the age of 87.
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Phyllis Barry
Phyllis Barry (December 7, 1908 Leeds-July 1, 1954 Los Angeles) also known as Phyllis Du Barry was an English actor.
Barry began her acting career in British films in the 1920s before moving to Hollywood in the 1930s. She appeared in several films during her career, including "The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu" (1930), "Charlie Chan's Chance" (1932), and "The Phantom Broadcast" (1933). Barry's last film credit was in the 1936 movie "White Hunter." After retiring from acting, she worked as a talent scout for RKO Pictures. Barry was married twice, first to actor Robert Sterling and later to playwright and producer George Abbott. She passed away at the age of 45 from a heart attack.
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Beryl Measor
Beryl Measor (April 22, 1908 Shanghai-February 8, 1965 London) was an English actor.
He was born in Shanghai, China, to British parents and grew up in England. Measor began his acting career in the 1930s, performing in a variety of stage productions, particularly in London's West End. He also appeared in several British films, including "They Were Not Divided" (1950) and "The Dam Busters" (1955). Measor was also a skilled radio actor, performing in many BBC radio dramas during the 1940s and 1950s. While his screen roles were often small, Measor's stage career was illustrious, with notable performances in Peter Ustinov's "The Moment of Truth" and Noël Coward's "This Happy Breed." He continued to act until his death in London in 1965, at the age of 56.
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