The Silver Screen Oasis

sometimes i have difficulty in picking my top British actresses. i would have top of my list Olivia De Havilland, who along with sister Joan Fontaine was born in Japan of British parents. i think that counts, but others might argue as their fully American as they've spent all their working lives there. (Liz Taylor and Angela Lansbury have lived in America most of their lives, but i bet they still remember their British roots)

in 2nd i'd have Maureen O'Hara, but arguement there is she's Irish and not part of the British Empire. however, with Ireland as near neighbours she could possibly pass as a part Brit.

in a recent great British actress tv program Audrey Hepburn qualified. she was born in Belgium, but had a British father and spent a lot of her early yrs in the U.K she's my 3rd

in 4th i have Helen Mirren. wait a minute we're all right here, born and bred in the U.K Lol.

next in 5th Vivien Leigh, but she was born in India. that isn't usually regarded as a problem. Cliff Richard was also born in India at a time when Britain was part of The British Empire as was Viv many yrs before

In her autobiography Tis Herself Maureen discusses her friendship with Ms DeHaviland and her Irish citizenship. I am not so sure that she would like to be classified as as " Brit ", even though she has played British on more than a few occassions, ie Our Man in Havana !

As a Brit I wouldn't count Olivia De Havilland, Joan Fontaine, Elizabeth Taylor or Maureen O'Hara as British.

The fact Elizabeth Taylor is a dame is a travesty. The Irish would be delighted to be called British, so that's Maureen O'Hara out of the count.

My favorite British actresses.

1 = Vivien Leigh & Audrey Hepburn
2 Jean Simmons
3 Madeleine Carroll

Discounting the ones i've all ready mentioned, the others include

Jean Simmons
Greer Garson
Virginia McKenna
Judi Dench
Rosamund John
Claire Bloom
Julie Walters
Hayley Mills
Diana Rigg
Susannah York

[quote="charliechaplinfan"]As a Brit I wouldn't count Olivia De Havilland, Joan Fontaine, Elizabeth Taylor or Maureen O'Hara as British.

The fact Elizabeth Taylor is a dame is a travesty. The Irish would be delighted to be called British, so that's Maureen O'Hara out of the count


The Irish would be delighted to be called British - History tells us another story !!

ken123 wrote:

charliechaplinfan wrote:As a Brit I wouldn't count Olivia De Havilland, Joan Fontaine, Elizabeth Taylor or Maureen O'Hara as British.

The fact Elizabeth Taylor is a dame is a travesty. The Irish would be delighted to be called British, so that's Maureen O'Hara out of the count


The Irish would be delighted to be called British - History tells us another story !!

I was trying to be sarcastic and it didn't work

charliechaplinfan wrote:

ken123 wrote:

charliechaplinfan wrote:As a Brit I wouldn't count Olivia De Havilland, Joan Fontaine, Elizabeth Taylor or Maureen O'Hara as British.

The fact Elizabeth Taylor is a dame is a travesty. The Irish would be delighted to be called British, so that's Maureen O'Hara out of the count


The Irish would be delighted to be called British - History tells us another story !!

I was trying to be sarcastic and it didn't work

Sorry !

You're welcome, I forget sarcasm doesn't come across as well in the written word

And not a mention of Margaret Rutherford?!! Heavens.

stuart.uk wrote:sometimes i have difficulty in picking my top British actresses. i would have top of my list Olivia De Havilland, who along with sister Joan Fontaine was born in Japan of British parents. i think that counts, but others might argue as their fully American as they've spent all their working lives there. (Liz Taylor and Angela Lansbury have lived in America most of their lives, but i bet they still remember their British roots)

in 2nd i'd have Maureen O'Hara, but arguement there is she's Irish and not part of the British Empire. however, with Ireland as near neighbours she could possibly pass as a part Brit.

in a recent great British actress tv program Audrey Hepburn qualified. she was born in Belgium, but had a British father and spent a lot of her early yrs in the U.K she's my 3rd

in 4th i have Helen Mirren. wait a minute we're all right here, born and bred in the U.K Lol.

next in 5th Vivien Leigh, but she was born in India. that isn't usually regarded as a problem. Cliff Richard was also born in India at a time when Britain was part of The British Empire as was Viv many yrs before

Maureen O'Hara: I'd never call her a Brit. She's a feisty woman, who's proud of her Irish roots. I think, you'd be safer by calling her an Irish Lady.

Oliva de H. and Joan F.: I've always seen them as British. I don't know. But by their heritage and upbringing, well, they even SEEM and FEEL British to me whenever I see them.

Audrey Hepburn: She's a tough case. Born in Belgium, British father, but grown up in the Netherlands. She's international. She's THE EU citizen.

It might be my imagination, but listening to recent Angela Lansbury interviews, the great lady seems to be talking with a more distictive posh speaking British accent than what she did in Murder She Wrote, playing a woman from Mame, or when she was younger. I think along with Julie Walters and Victoria Wood, Angela is worthy of the title DAME, but because she's spent most of her career in America it's likely she'll be overlooked.

Jane Seymore is dual National

I've always seen Olivia and Joan as American, never as English. Maybe it's because of our different locations, we each feel they belong to the other.