Maxine Audley, one of the most stylish, versatile and respected British actresses, has died aged 69. With electrifying performances in Peter Brook’s 1957 production of Titus Andronicus, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1962 production of Troilus And Cressida, and the 1971 Leeds Playhouse production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire behind her, Maxine Audley made a singular contribution to the worlds of Gerry Anderson as Theia, Dione’s commander in the Space:1999 episode The Last Enemy.
Born in London on 29th April 1923, Maxine Audley was as equally at home appearing in comedies and thrillers as she was in classical theatre productions. Her films included The Sleeping Tiger (1954), The Barretts Of Wimpole Street (1956 ), The Prince And The Showgirl (1957) with Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe, The Vikings (1958) with Kirk Douglas, Our Man In Havana (1959) with Alec Guinness, The Trials Of Oscar Wilde (1960) and The Looking Glass War (1970). She also had the distinction of being the only actress to portray Charlie Chaplin’s wife – as the queen in The King In New York(1957).
Originally published in FAB 6.