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British-American actress (born 1941) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Juliet Maryon Mills (born 21 November 1941)[1] is a British-American actress.[2]
Juliet Mills | |
|---|---|
Mills in 1974 | |
| Born | Juliet Maryon Mills 21 November 1941 London, England |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom (1941–present) United States (1975–present) |
| Education | Elmhurst Ballet School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1942–present |
| Spouses | Russell Alquist Jr.
(m. 1961; div. 1974)Michael Miklenda
(m. 1975; div. 1980) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Sir John Mills Mary Hayley Bell |
| Relatives | Hayley Mills (sister) Annette Mills (aunt) Susie Blake (cousin) Mark Weedon (cousin) Crispian Mills (nephew) |
| Awards | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie 1975 QB VII |
Mills began her career as a child actress and was nominated at age 18 for a Tony Award for her stage performance in Five Finger Exercise in 1960. She progressed to film work and then to television, playing the lead role on the sitcom Nanny and the Professor in the early 1970s. She received Golden Globe Award nominations for her work in this series and for her role in the film Avanti! in 1972. She won an Emmy Award for her performance in the television miniseries QB VII (1974).
In 1983, Mills joined The Mirror Theater Ltd's Mirror Repertory Company, performing in repertory productions such as Rain, Paradise Lost, Inheritors and The Hasty Heart throughout their seasons.[3] From 1999 until 2008, she had a role on the daytime drama series Passions,[4] for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award.
Mills was born on 21 November 1941 in London during World War II, though her parents, actor Sir John Mills and playwright Mary Hayley Bell, soon moved the family to the country to be away from the Luftwaffe bombing raids. She is the elder sister of actress Hayley Mills and director Jonathan Mills.[5]
Because of her parents' careers, Mills grew up surrounded by famous actors, including Rex Harrison, David Niven and Marlon Brando. She recalled her childhood in the 2000 documentary film Sir John Mills' Moving Memories, written by her brother. Her godmother was actress Vivien Leigh, and her godfather was playwright Noël Coward.[6] She attended the Elmhurst Ballet School, in Camberley, Surrey.[7]
As a child, Mills appeared as an extra in various films, including a role as Freda's 11-week-old baby in the 1942 film In Which We Serve, starring her father.[7][8] Her first major role came in 1958, when she was 16, as Pamela Harrington in the Peter Shaffer play Five Finger Exercise. The show ran one year in London, and then moved to the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. In 1960, Mills was nominated for a Tony Award as "Best Featured Actress" for her performance as Pamela.
Her role as a stowaway dressed as a man, but daughter of a ship's gunner, in episode 2 of Sir Francis Drake was one of her first TV appearances (1961) and was echoed by an almost identical role in the 1964 film Carry On Jack.[9]
In the 1960s, she would act both in films and on television, including the film, The Rare Breed with James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara, and on television series such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey and 12 O'Clock High. The 1970s saw her working mostly in television, although she has stated that the highlight of her film career was the film Avanti! (1972), directed by Billy Wilder, in which she starred with Jack Lemmon and for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination in 1973.[10] In 1974 Mills starred alongside fellow English actor Richard Johnson in the Italian horror film Beyond the Door, playing the role of Jessica Barrett, a woman who becomes demonically possessed after an unplanned pregnancy. The movie was a major success, making over $15 million at the box office, though the producers were sued by Warner Bros due to similarities to The Exorcist. Mills also appeared in a two-part 1978 episode of the TV series The Love Boat, playing Barbara Danver, wife of Alan Danver, played by Dan Rowan, one half of the comedy duo Rowan & Martin.
She is perhaps best known for starring on the American television series Nanny and the Professor, which was called an American version of Mary Poppins.[6] She played Phoebe Figalilly, a nanny with magical powers. Mills has stated that she herself believes in magic, witches and fairies: "There's a lot more, you know, in the aether and around us ... We have guides, and we have angels taking care of us ... I believe in metaphysics, in a big way."[4] She was again nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1971 for the same role. Despite strong ratings, the series ran only two seasons, in 1970 and 1971. When it moved from a timeslot near The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch, two hugely successful sitcoms, to a different night of the week, ratings fell eventually leading to its cancellation.[6]
In 1974, she won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special" for her performance in the miniseries adaptation of QB VII. During the 1974–75 television season, she also had a recurring role as Dr. Claire Hanley on NBC's Born Free. In 1980, Mills returned to the stage, starring in The Elephant Man, with Maxwell Caulfield. The two actors hit it off, and the younger Caulfield became her third husband, leading Mills to withdraw from acting for a time.
She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1992, when she was surprised by Michael Aspel during the curtain call of the play Fallen Angels at the Richmond Theatre.[citation needed]
In 1999, she was cast on the daytime drama Passions as Tabitha Lenox, a witch who was burned at the stake in the 17th century. Initially, the character wished harm on other people, but in a June 2007 episode, the character was declared a "good witch".[11] Mills was nominated for her first Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Lead Actress" for the role.[6]
The series ended in August 2008. In 2009, Mills joined the cast the ITV drama Wild at Heart, playing Georgina, the sister of a character played in the previous series by her real-life sister Hayley. She also guest-starred in two episodes of Hot in Cleveland as Philipa Scroggs, the mother of Joy (played by Jane Leeves).
Mills has been married three times. The first time was from 1961 to 1964, to Russell Alquist, Jr.,[5] with whom she had a son, Sean. Her second marriage was from 1975 to 1980 to Michael Miklenda, with whom she had a second child, a daughter, Melissa. While married to Miklenda, Mills appeared on Tattletales, and claimed she did not agree with women's liberation because the theatre does not discriminate.
In 1980, Mills married Maxwell Caulfield, 18 years her junior. Mills said of the age difference, "Everybody is always interested in the fact that I am married to someone who is a lot younger than I am ... There are no rules, and that's what I believe, because age doesn't really matter. If you meet someone that you're really close to, someone that you love, stick with that."[4]
Mills became a naturalized United States citizen on October 10, 1975.[12]
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Alice | Chelsea Palace Theatre | |
| 1958 | Five Finger Exercise | Pamela Harrington | Comedy Theatre | Nominated- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play |
| 1960 | Peter Pan | Wendy Darling | Scala Theatre | |
| 1962 | The Glad and Sorry Season[13] | Kitty | Piccadilly Theatre | |
| 1963 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Titania | Royal Shakespeare Company | |
| 1964 | The Knack ...and How to Get It | |||
| 1964–65 | Alfie! | Gilda | Morosco Theatre | |
| 1966 | Lady Windermere's Fan | Phoenix Theatre | ||
| 1969 | She Stoops to Conquer | Kate Hardcastle | Garrick Theatre | |
| 1976 | The Mousetrap | U.S. tour | ||
| 1979 | Wait Until Dark | Susy Hendrix | Alcazar Theatre | |
| 1980 | The Elephant Man | Fanny Kemble | Royal Poinsiana Playhouse | |
| The Heiress | Catherine Sloper | Nottingham Playhouse | ||
| 1983 | Rain | The Mirror Theater | ||
| 1983–84 | Paradise Lost | Pearl Gordon | ||
| 1984 | Inheritors | |||
| 1985 | The Hasty Heart | |||
| 1991 | Dangerous Obsession | Sally Driscoll | Cape Cod Playhouse | |
| 1992–93 | Fallen Angels | UK Tour | ||
| 1995 | The Cherry Orchard | Canadian tour | ||
| The Moliere Comedies | ||||
| Time of My Life | Laura Stratton | Williamstown Theatre Festival | ||
| 1996 | It Could Be Any One of Us | Jocelyn Polegate | The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere | |
| 1997 | Blithe Spirit | Ruth | Lauren K. Woods Theatre | |
| 1998 | Dial M for Murder | Cape Cod Playhouse | ||
| 1999 | Double Double | Philippa | UK Tour | |
| 2010 | Bedroom Farce | Delia | UK Tour[14] | |
| 2015 | Legends! | Sylvia Glenn | Australian Tour[15] | |
| 2019 | The Lady Vanishes | Miss Froy | UK Tour[16] | |
| 2022 | Darker Shores | Mrs Hinchcliffe | UK Tour[17] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | In Which We Serve | Freda's Baby | |
| 1944 | Tawny Pipit | Baby Girl | |
| 1947 | So Well Remembered | Young Julie | |
| The October Man | Child on Bus | ||
| 1949 | The History of Mr. Polly | Little Polly | |
| 1961 | No My Darling Daughter | Tansy Carr | |
| 1962 | Twice Round the Daffodils | Catty | |
| 1963 | Nurse on Wheels | Joanna Jones | |
| 1964 | Carry On Jack | Sally | |
| 1966 | The Rare Breed | Hilary Price | |
| The Wrong Box | Woman on Train | Uncredited | |
| 1969 | Oh! What a Lovely War | Nurse | |
| 1972 | Avanti! | Pamela Piggott | Nominated- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical |
| 1973 | Jonathan Livingston Seagull | Marina | Voice |
| 1974 | Beyond the Door | Jessica Barrett | |
| 1976 | The Second Power | Estefanía | |
| 1992 | Waxwork II: Lost in Time | The Defense Lawyer | |
| 1994 | The Primevals | Claire Collier | Photographed in 1994. Completed and released 2023. |
| 1999 | The Other Sister | Winnie | |
| 2014 | Lucky Stiff | Miss Thorsby | |
| Some Kind of Beautiful | Joan | ||
| 2018 | Running for Grace | Grandmother | |
| 2023 | 7000 Miles | Sharon | |
| Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar | Whale | Voice | |
| Poolman | Mrs. Van Patterson | ||
| TBC | Embryo | Jessica Barrett | Sequel to Beyond the Door |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Mrs. Miniver | Carol Beldon | TV film |
| 1962 | ITV Television Playhouse | Carol | Episode: "The Morning After" |
| Man of the World | Carla | Episode: "The Mindreader" | |
| 1963 | It Happened Like This | Joan | Episode: "Three of a Kind" |
| 1965 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Eva | Episode: "The Adriatic Express Affair" |
| 1966 | Ben Casey | Joan Lloyd | Episode: "Pull the Wool Over Your Eyes, Here Comes the Cold Wind of Truth" |
| A Man Called Shenandoah | Paula | Episode: "The Imposter" | |
| 12 O'Clock High | Sydney Vivyan | Episode: "The Slaughter Pen" | |
| 12 O'Clock High | Helen Conboy | Episode: "Siren Voices" | |
| Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Mary Lewis | Episode: "Time of Flight" | |
| 1967 | Wings of Fire | Lisa | TV film |
| The Revenue Men | Jill Lacey | Episode: "Borderline" | |
| Coronet Blue | Margaret Crowell | Episode: "Man Running" | |
| 1968 | Sherlock Holmes | Grace Dunbar | Episode: "Thor Bridge" |
| 1969 | The Morecambe & Wise Show | Guest Star | Her father, Sir John Mills, guest starred in a later series. |
| 1970 | The Challengers | Mary McCabe | TV film |
| 1970–1971 | Nanny and the Professor | Phoebe Figalilly | Lead role (54 episodes)
Nominated- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy |
| 1971 | Alias Smith and Jones | Julia Finney | Episode: "The Man Who Murdered Himself" |
| Stage 2 | Kate Hardcastle | Episode: "She Stoops to Conquer" | |
| 1973 | Letters from Three Lovers | Maggie | TV film |
| The ABC Afternoon Playbreak | Susan Moroni | Episode: "Alone with Terror" | |
| 1974 | QB VII | Samantha Cady | Miniseries
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series |
| Born Free | Dr. Claire Hanley | Episodes: "Pilot", "The Flying Doctor of Kenya" | |
| Harry O | Margaret Ballinger | Episode: "Ballinger's Choice" | |
| Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love | Usherette | Episode: "Kiss Me Again, Stranger" (Pilot-TV film) | |
| 1975 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Louise Carpenter | Episode: "Public Secrets" |
| Hawaii Five-O | Lady Sybil Danby | Episode: "Termination with Extreme Prejudice" | |
| The Wide World of Mystery | Isobel | Episode: "Demon, Demon" | |
| Matt Helm | Caroline Jeffries | Episode: "Death Rods" | |
| 1976 | Ellery Queen | Florence Ames | Episode: "The Adventure of the Hardhearted Huckster" |
| Once an Eagle | Joyce | Miniseries | |
| 1977 | Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn | Myra | TV film |
| Wonder Woman | Queen Kathryn | Episode: "The Queen and the Thief" | |
| Barnaby and Me | Jennifer | TV film | |
| 1978 | Switch | Alicia Alden | Episode: "Coronado Circle" |
| Police Woman | Amy Hollis | Episode: "Sixth Sense" | |
| 1978–84 | Fantasy Island | Various | 4 episodes |
| The Love Boat | 8 episodes | ||
| 1979 | The Cracker Factory | Tinkerbell | TV film |
| 1980 | Hart to Hart | Kate Matthews | Episode: "Downhill to Death" |
| 1984 | Dynasty | Rosalind Bedford | Episodes: "The Secret", "That Holiday Spirit" |
| 1985 | All My Children | Judge Edith Hogan | TV series |
| 1985 | Hotel | Grace Cauldwell | Episode: "Fallen Idols" |
| 1987 | Murder, She Wrote | Annette Pirage | Episode: "Witness for the Defense" |
| 1987 | Hotel | Joanne Bentley | Episode: "Pitfalls" |
| 1988 | The Law & Harry McGraw | Isobel McKechnie | Episode: "Maginnis for the People" |
| 1989 | Judith Krantz's Till We Meet Again | Vivianne de Biron | Miniseries |
| 1990 | Monsters | Cara Raymond | Episode: "Outpost" |
| 1992 | Columbo | Eileen Hacker | Episode: "No Time to Die" |
| 1993 | A Stranger in the Mirror | Alice Tanner | TV film |
| 1998 | Air America | Helen Vendler | Episode: "The Hit" |
| 1999–2008 | Passions | Tabitha Lenox | Main role (990 episodes)
Nominated- Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a |
| 2009 | Wild at Heart | Georgina | Recurring role (8 episodes) |
| 2008–2009 | Four Seasons | Lady Florence Combe | Miniseries |
| 2010–2015 | Hot in Cleveland | Philipa | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | From Here on OUT | Dottie Cooper | Regular (6 episodes) |
| 2017 | Time After Time | Mrs. Nelsen | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2017 | Jeff & Some Aliens | Jessica | Voice; Episode: "Jeff & Some Love Simulations" |
| 2017 | Andi Mack | Millie | Episode: "Mama" |
| 2021 | TV Therapy | Nanny | Episode: "Nanny" |
| 2022 | English Estate | Mary | TV film |
| 2022 | Big Mouth | Rita St. Swithens | Voice; Episode: "Vagina Shame" |
| 2023 | Grey's Anatomy | Maxine Anderson | 5 episodes |
| 2023 | Human Resources | Rita St. Swithens | Voice; Episode: "On the Daughterfront" |
| 2024 | Ark: The Animated Series | Chava | Voice role[18] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–75 | Match Game 74 | Herself (celebrity panelist) | Multiple episodes[19][20] |
| 1987 | Valley of the Dolls | Narrator | Audiobook recording by Phoenix Books |
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (December 2018) |
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Tony Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Play | Five Finger Exercise | Nominated |
| 1971 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Nanny and the Professor | Nominated |
| 1973 | Best Motion Picture Actress – Musical/Comedy | Avanti! | Nominated | |
| 1975 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special | QB VII | Won |
| 2000 | Soap Opera Digest Awards | Outstanding Villain | Passions | Nominated |
| 2001 | Outstanding Villainess | Nominated | ||
| 2003 | Outstanding Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | TV Land Awards | Superlatively Supernatural | Nanny and the Professor | Nominated |
| 2005 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Passions | Nominated |
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