Elizabeth Spender

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

Elizabeth Spender
Born1950 (age 72–73)
OccupationActress
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1990; died 2023)​
Parent(s)Stephen Spender
Natasha Spender
RelativesMatthew Spender (brother)

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. "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. "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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