Biographies

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A Brief Profile of Joan Sims

Early Life The character actress Joan Sims was born on 9 May 1930 in Laindon, near Basildon in Essex. She was the only child of John Henry Sims, the local stationmaster, and his wife Gladys, and christened Irene Joan Marion Sims. She showed an interest in acting from an early age, taking up local amateur…

A Brief Profile of Peter O’Toole
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A Brief Profile of Peter O’Toole

Early Life Peter (Seamus) O’Toole was born at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, England on 2 August 1932. His Irish-born father Patrick Joseph O’Toole, was a metalworker, footballer, and later, a bookmaker. His mother, Constance Jane, was a Scottish nurse. He grew up in the Leeds suburb of Hunslet, along with his older sister…

A Brief Profile of Bob Hoskins
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A Brief Profile of Bob Hoskins

Early Life The actor Robert (William) Hoskins, better known as Bob Hoskins, was born in Bury St. Edmund’s, Suffolk on 26 October 1942. He was the only child of Robert William Hoskins Sr., a lorry driver, and his wife Lillian, a nursery school teacher. He was brought up in Finsbury Park, London, and attended Stroud…

A Brief Profile of Bob Hope
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A Brief Profile of Bob Hope

Early Life and Career The actor and comedian Leslie Townes Hope, better known as ‘Bob’ Hope, was born on 29 May 1903, in Eltham, London. He was the fifth of seven sons of William Henry Hope, a stonemason, and his Welsh wife, Avis, a light opera singer. The family initially settled in Barry, Wales before…

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A Brief Profile of Charles Hawtrey

Early life and Career The actor Charles Hawtrey was born George Frederick Joffre Hartree in Hounslow, Middlesex, on 30 November 1914. His parents were William John Hartree, a car mechanic, and his wife Alice. He started his entertainment career early, making records as a boy soprano. He also made his film debut as a child…

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A Brief Profile of Googie Withers

Early Life The actress Georgette Lizette Withers, professionally known as Googie Withers, was born on 12 March 1917 in Karachi, India (now Pakistan). Her father, Edgar Withers, was a captain in the Royal Navy. Her mother, Lizette Wilhelmina Katarina Withers, was of Dutch-German descent. The nickname “Googie” was given to her as a child by…

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