Samantha Eggar

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Samantha Eggar
Samantha Eggar.jpg
Samantha Eggar in a publicity photo in 1964
BornVictoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar
5 March 1939 (age 79)
Hampstead, London, England
ResidenceLos Angeles, U.S.
CitizenshipBritish; American
OccupationActress
Years active1960–2012
Spouse(s)Tom Stern (m. 1964; div. 1971)
ChildrenNicolas Stern
Jenna Stern
Samantha Eggar (born 5 March 1939) is an English-American film, stage, television, and voice actress. After beginning her career in Shakespearean theatre, she rose to fame for her performance in William Wyler's thriller The Collector (1965), which earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
She later appeared as Emma Fairfax in Doctor Dolittle (1967), and the American drama The Molly Maguires (1970). In the early 1970s, Eggar relocated to the United States and Canada, where she later starred in several horror films, including The Dead Are Alive (1972), The Uncanny (1977), and David Cronenberg's cult thriller The Brood (1979).
Eggar has also worked as a voice actress, as Hera in Walt Disney's Hercules (1997), and lent her voice to several video games, including Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned and 007: Nightfire. Her television work includes roles on Fantasy Island, and a recurring part as Charlotte Devane in the soap opera All My Children in 2000.[1]

Early life[edit]

Samantha Eggar was born Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar[2][3] on 5 March 1939[4] in Hampstead, London, to Ralph (a brigadier in the British Army) and a mother (Muriel) of Dutch and Portuguese descent.[5] Soon after her birth her family relocated to rural Bledlow, Buckinghamshire, during World War II, where she spent her childhood.[2] There, she was a neighbour of Oliver Reed.[2]
Eggar was brought up as a Roman Catholic and educated at St Mary's Providence Convent in Woking, Surrey. Reflecting on her time in convent school, Eggar said: "The nuns didn't have too much success with me – I've always had a violent temper. In fact, once I almost killed one of the nuns."[3] At age sixteen, she began to go by the name Samantha.[2] Although Eggar expressed interest in acting at a young age, she was urged against a career in the theatre by her parents. She was offered a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, but instead studied fashion for two years at the Thanet School of Art.[3] After completing her studies, she enrolled at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[6]

Career[edit]

Theatre and early work[edit]

Eggar began her acting career in several Shakespearean companies, notably playing Titania in a 1962 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Tony Richardson.[7] She also appeared onstage in a production of Douglas Seale's Landscape with Figures, where she was noticed by a talent scout, and from there was cast in the biographical film Dr. Crippen (1962), opposite Donald Pleasence.[8] Her second film role was in 1962 in The Wild and the Willing; the same year, she appeared onstage again as Olivia in a production of Twelfth Night by George Devine.[7]
In 1965, Eggar appeared in the thriller The Collector, directed by William Wyler, playing a kidnap victim. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and won a Golden Globe award for her performance.[9] She was also awarded Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 1966.[10] On her role as Miranda in The Collector, Eggar has said: "My biggest relationship on set was with William Wyler. The tension on set was real. And if the tension wasn't there – if I didn’t exude precisely what he wanted – well, Willie just poured cold water over me."[11]
The following year, Eggar starred in the comedy Walk, Don't Run (1966) with Cary Grant (his last motion picture) and Jim Hutton, followed by a lead role as Emma Fairfax in Richard Fleischer's musical adaptation of Doctor Dolittle (1967). In 1963, she played the title character in "Marcia", a second-season episode of The Saint. After her appearance in The Saint, Eggar did not appear in television for 10 years, instead focusing exclusively on feature films. Although she co-starred with Yul Brynner in the television series Anna and the King (1972), she did not make another television guest appearance until 1973, when she starred in the episode "The Cardboard House" of the romantic anthology series Love Story. That same year, she played Phyllis Dietrichson in a TV remake of Double Indemnity.[12]

Move to United States and Canada[edit]

In 1973, Eggar relocated to the United States, settling in Los Angeles, and appeared first in television, guest starring on episodes of Starsky & Hutch and Columbo, the latter with Peter Falk and Theodore Bikel in the episode "The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case". She would go on to star in a number of horror films, including The Dead Are Alive(1972), A Name for Evil (1973), The Uncanny (1977), and David Cronenberg's cult sci-fi film The Brood (1979). In 1980, she filmed the Canadian slasher film Curtains, released in 1983.[13]
She also appeared as Maggie Gioberti in "The Vintage Years", the pilot for the drama Falcon Crest, but was replaced by Susan Sullivan when the series went into production.[3]She appeared in the drama Dark Horse (1992), followed by the superhero film The Phantom (1996). In 1997, she provided the voice of Hera in Disney's animated film Hercules; she would also supply the voice for the subsequent television series. Eggar also had a role in the sci-fi thriller The Astronaut's Wife (1999), which starred Johnny Depp.
She has appeared as the wife of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's brother Robert on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and as Sarah Templeton, the wife of Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton (Donald Sutherland), on the short-lived television series Commander in Chief, which starred Geena Davis. In the year 2000, she had a brief run as Charlotte Devane in the American soap opera All My Children. In 2003, she appeared in the first season of Cold Case, episode 14 ("The Boy in the Box") as Sister Vivian. In 2009, she played the mother of Jack and Becky Gallagher in season 1, episode 11 ("Lines in the Sand") of the Fox television series Mental.

Personal life[edit]

In 1964, she married actor Tom Stern, with whom she has a son, Nicolas Stern (b. 1965),[14] and a daughter, Jenna Stern (b. 1967).[15] Eggar and Stern divorced in 1971. She has citizenship of both the UK and the United States.[16] She resides in Los Angeles.[11]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

YearTitleRolesNotes
1962Dr. CrippenEthel Le Neve
The Wild and the WillingJosie
1963Doctor in DistressDelia Mallory
1964Psyche 59Robin
1965Return from the AshesFabienne 'Fabi' Wolf
The CollectorMiranda GreyAlso known as The Butterfly Collector
Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
Sant Jordi Award for Best Performance in a Foreign Film
Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
1966Walk, Don't RunChristine Easton
1967Doctor DolittleEmma Fairfax
1970The Molly MaguiresMiss Mary Raines
The Walking StickDeborah Dainton
The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a GunDanielle Lang ("Dany")
1971The Light at the Edge of the WorldArabella
1972The Dead Are AliveMyra Shelton
1973A Name for EvilJoanna Blake
1974All the Kind StrangersCarol Ann
1976The Seven-Per-Cent SolutionMary Morstan Watson
1977The UncannyEdina Hamilton
Welcome to Blood CityKatherine
Why Shoot the Teacher?Alice Field
1978The Greatest BattleAnnelise Ackermann
1979The BroodNola CarvethNominated – Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress
1980The ExterminatorDr. Megan Stewart
1981The Hot TouchSamantha O'Brien
Demonoid Messenger of DeathJennifer Baines
1983CurtainsSamantha Sherwood
1987Love Among ThievesSolange
1991Ragin' CajunDr. May
1992Dark HorseMrs. Curtis
Round NumbersAnne
1994Inevitable GraceBritt
1996The PhantomLily Palmer
1996Everything to GainDiana Keswick
1997HerculesHeraVoice
1998Loss of FaithInsp. StrongTelevision film
1999The Astronaut's WifeDr. Patraba

Television[edit]

YearTitleRolesNotes
1961Rob RoyDiana VernonRecurring
1963The SaintClaire AveryEpisode: "Marcia"
1972Anna and the KingAnna LeonowensRecurring
1973Love StoryRuth WilsonEpisode: "The Cardboard House"
Double IndemnityPhyllis DietrichsonMiniseries
1977ColumboVivian BrandtEpisode: "The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case"
Starsky and HutchCharlotteEpisode: "Starsky and Hutch on Playboy Island"
1978Fantasy IslandHelena MarshEpisode: "Return/The Toughest Man Alive"
1979Fantasy IslandHelena MarshEpisode: "The Wedding"
1983For the Term of his Natural LifeJulie VickersMiniseries
Hart to HartGillian RawlingsEpisode: "Long Lost Love"
1984Murder, She WroteMarta QuintessaEpisode "Hooray for Homicide"
Magnum, P.I.Laura BennettEpisode "Fragments"
1990A Ghost in Monte CarloJeanneMiniseries
Star Trek: The Next GenerationMarie PicardEpisode "Family"
1991The Legend of Prince ValiantQueen GuinevereVoice; recurring
1993L.A. LawCamille BancroftEpisode "Where There's a Will"
1998–99HerculesHeraVoice; 7 episodes
2000All My ChildrenCharlotte Devane20 episodes
2005Commander in ChiefSara TempletonRecurring
2009MentalMargo Stroud2 episodes
2012MetalocalypseWhale(voice) Recurring

Stage credits[edit]

YearTitleRoleDirectorVenueNotes
1959Landscape with FiguresN/ADouglas SealeOlympia Theatre; Theatre Royal, Brighton; Grand, Wolverhampton[7]
1962A Midsummer Night's DreamTitaniaTony RichardsonRoyal Court Theatre[7]
1962Twelfth NightOliviaGeorge DevineRoyal Court Theatre[7][17]
1985The Lonely RoadIrene HermsChristopher FettesYvonne Arnaud Theatre; Old Vic Theatre[7][18]
1985The SeagullIrina Nikolayevna ArkadinaCharles SturridgeOxford Playhouse; Theatre Royal, Bath[7][19]
1992Auntie MameVeraKarin BakerCandlewood Playhouse, New Fairfield, Connecticut[7][20]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. Jump up^ "Samantha Eggar Biography". Biography.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Cooper 2015, p. 105.
  3. ^ Jump up to:a b c d "The Private Life and Times of Samantha Eggar". Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  4. Jump up^ "Samantha Eggar". The British Film Institute. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  5. Jump up^ "Samantha Eggar Biography". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 January 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  6. Jump up^ Cooper 2015, p. 106.
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h Cooper 2015, p. 120.
  8. Jump up^ Cooper 2015, p. 107.
  9. Jump up^ "Samantha Eggar". GoldenGlobes.com. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  10. Jump up^ "All Awards". Awards 1965. Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  11. ^ Jump up to:a b "Collecting Life: An Interview with Samantha Eggar". The Terror Trap. July 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  12. Jump up^ MacKellar 2006, p. 371.
  13. Jump up^ Nowell 2010, p. 232.
  14. Jump up^ "Nicolas Stern was born on September 12, 1965 in Los Angeles County, California". California Birth Index. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  15. Jump up^ "Jenna L Stern was born on September 23, 1967 in Los Angeles County, California". California Birth Index. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  16. Jump up^ "Samantha Celebrates Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee". Samantha Eggar: Official Website. April 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2017. I am now an American citizen, but my heritage is indomitable.
  17. Jump up^ "Performance Details – Twelfth Night (Devine, English Stage Company, February 1962)". AHDS: Performing Arts. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  18. Jump up^ "Production of The Lonely Road". Theatricalia. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  19. Jump up^ Borny 2010, p. 162.
  20. Jump up^ Klein, Alvin (9 August 1992). "THEATER; Candlewood Brings Back 'Mame'". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 January 2017.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]