Judith Anderson
3

Judith Anderson

Born

February 10, 1897

Died

January 3, 1992 (94 years old)

Known For

Acting

Place of Birth

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Dame Frances Margaret Anderson, AC, DBE (February 10, 1897 – January 3, 1992), known professionally as Judith Anderson, was an Australian actress who had a successful career in stage, film and television. Considered one of the greatest classical stage actors of the 20th century, she has two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award to her name, as well as a nomination for a Grammy Award and an Academy Award each.

She began her acting career in Australia but her ambition brought her to New York in 1918. She established herself as one of the greatest theatrical actresses and was a major star on Broadway throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Her notable stage works included the role of Lady Macbeth, which she played first in the 1920s, and gave an Emmy Award-winning television performance in Macbeth (1960). Anderson's long association with Euripides's "Medea" began with her acclaimed Tony Award-winning 1948 stage performance in the title role. She appeared in the television version of Medea (1983) in the supporting character of the Nurse.

Anderson made her Hollywood film debut under director Rowland Brown in a supporting role in Blood Money (1933). Her striking, not conventionally attractive features were complemented with her powerful presence, mastery of timing and an effortless style. Anderson made a film career as a supporting character actress in several significant films including Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940), for which she was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actress. She worked with director Otto Preminger in Laura (1944), then with René Clair in And Then There Were None (1945). Her remarkable performance in a supporting role in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) fit in a stellar acting ensemble under director Richard Brooks.

Anderson was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1960 Queen's New Year's Honours List for her services to the performing arts. Living in Santa Barbara in her later years, she also had a successful stint on the soap opera Santa Barbara (1984) and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1984. In the same year, at age 87, she appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) as the High Priestess, and was nominated for a Saturn Award for that role. She was awarded Companion of the Order of Australia in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to the performing arts. Anderson died at age 94 of pneumonia on January 3, 1992 in Santa Barbara, California.

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

Self (archive footage)

6.0

2018

The Making of The Ten Commandments

The Making of The Ten Commandments

Self (archive footage)

8.0

2003

Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker

Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker

actress 'Laura' (archive footage) (uncredited)

7.7

1991

Impure Thoughts

Impure Thoughts

The Sister of Purgatory (voice)

3.7

1986

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

Minx Lockridge · (617 episodes)

4.9

1984

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Vulcan High Priestess

6.6

1984

Medea

Nurse

1.0

1983

Inn of the Damned

Inn of the Damned

Caroline Straulle

4.2

1975

The Underground Man

The Underground Man

Mrs. Snow

5.0

1974

The Borrowers

The Borrowers

Aunt Sophie

6.0

1973

A Man Called Horse

A Man Called Horse

Buffalo Cow Head

6.5

1970

The File on Devlin

The File on Devlin

Elizabeth Devlin

0.0

1969

Elizabeth the Queen

Elizabeth the Queen

Queen Elizabeth

0.0

1968

Macbeth

Macbeth

Lady Macbeth

6.0

1964

The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre

The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre

Paulina

5.7

1964

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

'Rebecca' (archive footage) (uncredited)

3.3

1961

Don't Bother to Knock

Don't Bother to Knock

Maggie Shoemaker

5.1

1961

Cinderfella

Cinderfella

Wicked Stepmother

6.1

1960

A Christmas Festival

Narrator of the final offering

0.0

1959

The Moon and Sixpence

The Moon and Sixpence

Tiare

0.0

1959

Medea

Medea

Medea

0.0

1959

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Big Momma

7.7

1958

DuPont Show of the Month

DuPont Show of the Month

Marquesa de Montemayor · (1 episode)

6.8

1957

Wagon Train

Wagon Train

Felizia Kingdom · (1 episode)

6.3

1957

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

Memnet

7.8

1956

Tony Awards

Tony Awards

Self - Nominee · (1 episode)

5.1

1956

Macbeth

Macbeth

Lady Macbeth

7.0

1954

Climax!

Climax!

Rachel · (1 episode)

3.3

1954

Salome

Salome

Queen Herodias

5.8

1953

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Lady Macbeth · (2 episodes)

8.6

1951

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

(1 episode)

8.6

1951

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

The Prioress · (1 episode)

8.6

1951

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Elizabeth Devlin · (1 episode)

8.6

1951

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Queen Elizabeth I · (1 episode)

8.6

1951

The Furies

The Furies

Flo Burnett

7.1

1950

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show

Self · (3 episodes)

6.8

1948

Tycoon

Tycoon

Miss Ellen Braithwaite

5.3

1947

Pursued

Pursued

Mrs. Callum

6.5

1947

The Red House

The Red House

Ellen Morgan

6.2

1947

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

Mrs. Ivers

7.1

1946

Specter of the Rose

Specter of the Rose

Madame La Sylph

4.6

1946

The Diary of a Chambermaid

The Diary of a Chambermaid

Madame Lanlaire

6.3

1946

And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None

Emily Brent

7.0

1945

Laura

Laura

Ann Treadwell

7.6

1944

Stage Door Canteen

Stage Door Canteen

Judith Anderson

5.8

1943

Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness

Gerd Bjarnesen

6.1

1943

Kings Row

Kings Row

Harriet Gordon

7.2

1942

All Through the Night

All Through the Night

Madame

7.0

1942

Lady Scarface

Lady Scarface

Slade

5.1

1941

Free and Easy

Free and Easy

Lady Joan Culver

5.5

1941

Forty Little Mothers

Forty Little Mothers

Madame Granville

6.2

1940

Rebecca

Rebecca

Mrs. Danvers

7.9

1940

Blood Money

Blood Money

Ruby Darling

7.0

1933