Rita Tushingham
Rita Tushingham(born 14 March 1942) is a British actress. She is known for her starring roles in films includingA Taste of Honey(1961),The Leather Boys(1964),The Knack...and How to Get It(1965),Doctor Zhivago(1965), andSmashing Time(1967). ForA Taste of Honey,she won theCannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress,and Most Promising Newcomer at both theBAFTA AwardsandGolden Globe Awards.Her other film appearances includeAn Awfully Big Adventure(1995),Under the Skin(1997),Being Julia(2004), andLast Night in Soho(2021).
Early life
[edit]Tushingham was born on 14 March 1942 in theGarstonarea ofLiverpool,where her father was a grocer who ran three shops.[1]She grew up in theHunt's Crossdistrict of the city. She attended the Heatherlea School inAllertonand the La Sagesse School inGrassendale(which later became part ofSt Julie's Catholic High School) and studied shorthand and typing at a secretarial school. She wanted to be an actress from an early age and trained at the Shelagh Elliott-Clarke School before working as an assistant stage manager at theLiverpool Playhouse.[2]
Career
[edit]Tushingham's screen debut was inA Taste of Honey(1961). In 2020, she said of the film: "We shocked audiences without intending to. I only learned later thatPauland I did the first interracial kiss on screen.... A lot of the reaction was, 'People like that don’t exist' – by which they meanthomosexuals,single mothers and people in mixed-race relationships. But they did. "A Taste of Honeywas banned in several countries.[3]
Other performances by Tushingham have includedGirl with Green Eyes(1964),The Leather Boys(1964),The Knack...and How to Get It(1965),Doctor Zhivago(1965),The Trap(1966),Smashing Time(1967),The Bed Sitting Room(1969), andThe 'Human' FactorstarringGeorge KennedyandJohn Mills(1975). She also co-starred as Margaret Sheen in the TV filmGreen Eyes(1977).
In the 1960s, Tushingham performed several plays for theEnglish Stage Companyat theRoyal Court Theatre:The Changeling(1961),The Kitchen(1961),A Midsummer Night's Dream(1962),Twelfth Night(production without décor, 1962) andThe Knack(1962).
Tushingham has won aGolden Globeand aBAFTA Award,and was a member of the jury at the22nd Berlin International Film Festivalin 1972[4]and at the40th Berlin International Film Festivalin 1990.[5]
Her later roles include the filmBeing Julia(2004), starringAnnette Bening,and on television in "The Sittaford Mystery"(2006), an episode ofMarple.She appeared in Season 2 of theBBC Threezombie dramaIn The Fleshas Mrs Lamb, broadcast in May 2014. In 2020 she appeared in theBBC Oneadaptation ofThe Pale HorsebyAgatha Christie.
Homages
[edit]Clips from Tushingham's performance inThe Leather Boysappeared inThe Smiths' music video for the single "Girlfriend in a Coma",in 1987.[6]She is also mentioned in theFranz Ferdinandsong "L. Wells",theCleaners From Venussong "Ilya Kuryakin Looked at Me" and theTelevision Personalitiessong "Favourite Films". In 1999, she was featured onThis Is Your Life.[7]
Personal life
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Rita_Tushingham_2006.jpg/220px-Rita_Tushingham_2006.jpg)
Tushingham marriedphotographerTerry Bicknell in 1962. They had two daughters, Dodonna and Aisha, before divorcing in 1976.[3]In 1981, she marriedIraqicinematographerOusama Rawi, spending eight years inCanadawith him before they separated. They were not legallydivorceduntil 1996. She later divided her time between Germany and London with German writer Hans-Heinrich Ziemann, her partner since 1994. As of 2020[update]she lives alone in London, near her daughter Aisha and her grandchildren.[3]
In April 2005, at the age of 33, Tushingham's daughter Aisha was diagnosed withbreast cancer.She recovered and later gave birth to a son. Tushingham subsequently became an activist for breast cancer health and support.[8]She is a prominent supporter ofCancer Research UK'sRelay For Lifeand has given a number of interviews to raise breast cancer awareness.[9]
In July 2009, Tushingham received anHonorary FellowshipfromLiverpool John Moores Universityfor "outstanding and sustained contributions to the performing arts".[10]In a 2020 interview, she described herself as a "lifelongfootballfan "and aLiverpool F.C.supporter.[3]
In June 2022, Tushingham was the guest forBBC Radio 4'sDesert Island Discs.Her choices included "You'll Never Walk Alone"byGerry and the Pacemakers,"Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"byElla Fitzgeraldand "Bridge over Troubled Water"bySimon & Garfunkel.Her book choice wasBrewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fableand her requested luxury item was a photograph of her family inside a book ofMattcartoons wrapped in amosquito net.[11]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1961 | A Taste of Honey | Josephine "Jo" | |
1963 | A Place to Go | Catherine Donovan | |
1964 | The Leather Boys | Dot | |
1964 | Girl with Green Eyes | Kate Brady | |
1965 | The Knack...and How to Get It | Nancy Jones | |
1965 | Doctor Zhivago | Tanya Komarova | |
1966 | The Trap | Eve | |
1967 | Smashing Time | Brenda | |
1968 | Diamonds for Breakfast | Bridget Rafferty | |
1969 | The Guru | Jenny | |
1969 | The Bed Sitting Room | Penelope | |
1972 | Straight on Till Morning | Brenda Thompson | |
1974 | Fischia il sesso | Carol Houston | |
1974 | Situation | Rita | |
1975 | Rachel's Man | Leah | |
1975 | The "Human" Factor | Janice | |
1977 | Bread, Butter and Marmalade | Vera De Virdis | |
1977 | Black Journal | Maria | |
1978 | Mysteries | Martha Gude | |
1982 | Spaghetti House | Kathy Ceccacci | |
1986 | A Judgment in Stone | Eunice Parchman | |
1986 | Flying | Jean Stoller | |
1989 | Resurrected | Mrs. Deakin | |
1989 | Hard Days, Hard Nights | Rita | |
1992 | Paper Marriage | Lou | |
1992 | Rapture of Deceit | Dora | |
1994 | Gospel According to Harry | Myrna | |
1995 | An Awfully Big Adventure | Aunt Lily | |
1996 | The Boy from Mercury | May Cronin | |
1997 | Under the Skin | Mum | |
1999 | Swing | Mags Luxford | |
2000 | Out of Depth | Margaret Nixon | |
2004 | Being Julia | Aunt Carrie | |
2007 | Puffball | Molly | |
2007 | The Hideout | Paula Hardyn | |
2008 | Broken Lines | Rae | |
2008 | Telstar: The Joe Meek Story | Essex Medium | |
2009 | The Calling | Sister Gertrude | |
2011 | Seamonsters | Rose | |
2012 | Outside Bet | Martha | |
2013 | The Wee Man | Rita Thompson | |
2017 | My Name Is Lenny | Reenie Joyce | |
2020 | The Owners | Ellen Huggins | |
2021 | Last Night in Soho | Peggy Turner | |
2022 | Boudica | Green Druid |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1964 | The Human Jungle | Joy South | Episode: "The Man Who Fell Apart" |
1973 | Armchair Theatre | Grace | Episode: "Red Riding Hood" |
1974 | No Strings | Leonora | 6 episodes |
1977 | Green Eyes | Margaret Sheen | TV film |
1980 | Ladykillers | Charlotte Bryant | Episode: "Don't Let Them Kill Me on Wednesday" |
1982 | The Confessions of Felix Krull | Mrs. Twentyman | All 5 episodes |
1984 | Seeing Things | Dr. Jessica Edwards | Episode: "Seeing R.E.D." |
1985 | ABC Weekend Special | Mrs. Prysselius | Episode: "Pippi Longstocking" |
1989 | The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway | Alice B. Toklas | TV film |
1988 | Bread | Celia Higgins | 11 episodes |
1998 | Spending Nights with Joan | Bette Davis | TV film |
2002 | Helen West | Margaret Mellors | Episode: "Shadow Play" |
2002 | The Stretford Wives | Marilyn Massey | TV film |
2003 | Life Beyond the Box: Margo | Celia Fishwick | TV film |
2005 | New Tricks | Elise | Episode: "Creative Problem Solving" |
2006 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Miss Elizabeth Percehouse | Episode: "The Sittaford Mystery" |
2006 | Angel Cake | Millie | TV film |
2011 | Bedlam | Grace | Episode: "Inmates" |
2014 | In the Flesh | Mrs. Lamb | 3 episodes |
2016 | Neil Gaiman's Likely Stories | Effie Corvier | Episode: "Feeders and Eaters"[12] |
2018 | Vera | Audrey Latham | Episode: "Home"[13] |
2018 | Still Open All Hours | Annie | Episode: "Christmas Special" |
2020 | The Pale Horse | Bella Webb | Both 2 episodes |
2021 | Ridley Road | Nettie Jones | All 4 episodes |
2022 | The Responder | June Carson | 2 episodes |
2024 | The Marlow Murder Club | Mrs. Eddingham | 2 episodes |
Awards and honours
[edit]Tushingham was made Honorary Associate ofLondon Film School.
References
[edit]- ^"Rita Tushingham at screenonline".screenonline.org.Retrieved23 August2014.
- ^"Rita Tushingham 1942".ritatushingham.Retrieved23 August2014.
- ^abcdJeffries, Stuart (28 January 2020)."Rita Tushingham on life after A Taste of Honey: 'It was a shock when the 60s ended'".The Guardian.Retrieved10 May2021.
- ^"Berlinale 1972: Juries".berlinale.de.Retrieved15 March2010.
- ^"Berlinale: 1990 Juries".berlinale.de.Retrieved14 March2011.
- ^White, Armond (10 August 2017)."The Smiths: The Open Secret of 'Girlfriend in a Coma'".Rolling Stone.
- ^"Credits & Photos 1990 – 1999 | Tthe Rita Tushingham Home Page".ritatushingham /1990.htm.Retrieved25 February2024.
- ^Lambert, Victoria (21 August 2006)."The knack of coping with cancer".The Daily Telegraph.London. Archived fromthe originalon 11 March 2007.Retrieved22 May2010.
- ^"About us".Cancer Research UK.22 August 2013.
- ^"Rita Tushingham - Oration presented by Professor Frank Sanderson".Liverpool John Moores University.2009.Retrieved16 September2018.
And we are delighted to honour her today for her outstanding and sustained contributions to the performing arts.
- ^"BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Rita Tushingham, actor".BBC.June 2022.
- ^Barnett, David (12 February 2016)."Neil Gaiman's Likely Stories brings tales of 'psychological cannibalism' to TV".The Guardian.Retrieved27 November2016.
- ^"Vera - S8 - Episode 3: Home".Radio Times.
External links
[edit]- 1942 births
- Living people
- 20th-century English actresses
- 21st-century English actresses
- Actresses from Liverpool
- BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners
- Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners
- English film actresses
- English stage actresses
- English television actresses
- New Star of the Year (Actress) Golden Globe winners
- People from Garston
- People from Hunt's Cross