Claire Bloom

Claire Bloom (Patricia Claire Blume) is an English actress, notable for lead roles on stage and screen. She has won two BAFTA Awards and a Drama Desk Award, and received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award. Born on 15 February 1931, she launched her acting career in the late 1940s, debuting in London when she was sixteen and taking roles in various Shakespeare plays. A noteworthy role was her role as Ophelia alongside Richard Burton in Hamlet. She rose to prominence playing leading roles in stage productions such as A Streetcar Named Desire and A Doll's House. She made her film debut in The Blind Goddess (1948). She gained notoriety with her work in Limelight (1952) acting opposite Charlie Chaplin. Throughout her career, she shared the screen with major actors such as Richard Burton, Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Paul Scofield, and Ralph Richardson to name a few. She also portrayed Queen Mary in the historical drama The King's Speech (2010). Her early life involved various places in England and Florida and then pursued drama studies in London. She faced numerous difficulties during the Blitz in London during World War II.