Hermione Baddeley (1906–1986)

Hermione Baddeley was born in Broseley, Shropshire, to an English father, W.H. Clinton-Baddeley, and a French mother, Louise Bourdin. Her older sister Angela Baddeley also became an actress. Hermione made her stage debut as a teenager in 1918, and prior to World War II, became popular in London comedies and revues. She made her film debut in 1927, with a role in a silent comedy, but didn't achieve fame until 20 years later, with her performance as Ida in the now-classic film noir Brighton Rock. Over the course of her more than 60-year career, she found success in film, television, and voice-overs, often playing brash characters referred to as "brassy." She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Room at the Top (1959) and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore (1963). In her private life, Hermione was married from 1928 to 1937 to David Tennant, an English aristocrat and socialite, and lived at Teffont Evias Manor, which became known for their boisterous parties. The couple had two children.

Her second husband was Major J.H. Willis. She also had a brief relationship with her Room at the Top co-star Laurence Harvey, 22 years her junior. She published her autobiography, The Unsinkable Hermione Baddeley, in 1984.