Cathleen Nesbitt

Cathleen Nesbitt CBE (born Kathleen Mary Nesbitt) was an acclaimed English actress born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England in 1888, with Welsh and Irish heritage. Her parents were Thomas and Mary Catherine Nesbitt. She was educated in Lisieux, France, and at the Queen's University of Belfast and the Sorbonne. She made her theatrical debut in 1910 in London with Arthur Wing Pinero's The Cabinet Minister. She joined the Irish Players in 1911 and later ventured to Broadway debuting in The Well of the Saints. Her Broadway portfolio was enlarged with roles in Quinneys (1915) and John Galsworthy's Justice (1916). She played alongside literary legend John Barrymore as his leading lady in his first dramatic stage role. Her film debut was in the silent A Star Over Night (1919) and The Faithful Heart (1922).

She returned to England, continuing her illustrious acting career in both films and theatre. In the 1930s, she transitioned to talkies. After a gap in film roles, she made her Hollywood debut in Three Coins in the Fountain (1954). She played Cary Grant's Grandmother Janou in An Affair to Remember (1957) and was part of the ensemble cast of Separate Tables. In the '50s and '60s, she featured on Broadway with plays like Gigi, Sabrina Fair, and Anastasia. In her 90s, she returned to Broadway reprising her role as Mrs. Higgins in My Fair Lady. She also transitioned to television, featuring in series like The Farmer's Daughter from 1963 to 1966. Her final film was Never Never Land in 1980.