Eileen Essell(1921-2015)
- Actress
Eileen Essell has to be one of the oldest film débutantes of all time.
She became a stage actress when she left university and spent thirteen
years in theatrical productions in Britain. However, when she was in
her early thirties she got married to a writer and abandoned her career
to raise her son. She did later earn a living as a teacher at the
Central School of Music and Drama and the City University. After the
death of her husband in 1998, a family friend lured her back on stage
for a play he was producing and an agent just happened to be in the
audience. He was keen to represent her and got her employment in
television. An appearance in the film
Duplex (2003) led to her becoming a
Hollywood actress in her 80s with roles in
Finding Neverland (2004),
The Producers (2005) and
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
