Hilary Dwyer

Hilary Dwyer

Hilary Dwyer in 2009
Born (1945-05-06) 6 May 1945
Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Other names Hilary Heath
Spouse(s) Duncan Heath (1974-1989, divorced)

Hilary Dwyer (born 6 May 1945, in Liverpool, Lancashire) is a former actress, businessperson and film producer.

Early life

Dwyer is the daughter of an orthopaedic surgeon. As a youth, she practised ballet and became a talented pianist.[1] Dwyer trained in repertory theatres and appeared on stage at the Bristol Old Vic.

Acting career

Dwyer is best known for appearing in several horror films distributed by American International Pictures in the late 1960s and early 1970s, most notably Michael Reeves' Witchfinder General (1968), starring Vincent Price. She also appeared in The Oblong Box (1969) and Cry of the Banshee (1970), both again featuring Price, as well as Robert Fuest's Wuthering Heights (1970). Banshee was her final feature film appearance. Her many television roles included The Prisoner, The Avengers, Hadleigh and Van der Valk. Her last TV appearance was in a 1976 episode of Space: 1999.[2]

Marriage

In 1973 Dwyer set up the talent agency Duncan Heath Associates with her then husband-to-be Duncan Heath,[3] now the co-chairman of the Independent Talent Group Ltd. In a 2002 interview in the Financial Times, Heath said of Dwyer "She introduced me to a lot of people - if it wasn't for her it wouldn't have happened."[4]

Producing career

She began a career as a producer in the mid-1980s under her married name Hilary Heath. She is credited as either Producer or Executive Producer for several films, including feature films Criminal Law (1989) and Nil by Mouth (1997) as well as TV-remakes of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca (1997) and Tennessee Williams's The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003).[5]

Family

Dwyer married talent agent Duncan Heath in 1974; they divorced in 1989. They have two children, Laura and Daniel. Laura Heath founded and runs the Hope-Martin Animal Foundation in Barbados.[6]

Filmography

Feature films

Year Film Role Director
1968 Witchfinder General Sara Lowes Michael Reeves
1969 The Body Stealers Julie Slade Gerry Levy
The Oblong Box Lady Elizabeth Markham Gordon Hessler
The File of the Golden Goose Ann Marlowe Sam Wanamaker
Two Gentlemen Sharing Ethne Burrows Ted Kotcheff
1970 Wuthering Heights Isabella Linton Robert Fuest
Cry of the Banshee Maureen Whitman Gordon Hessler

Television (incomplete)

Year TV Show Role Director
1965 About Religion Gladys
1967 ITV Play of the Week Anthea Christopher Hodson
The Avengers Hilary Robert Asher
The Prisoner Number Seventy-Three Pat Jackson
1968 Z Cars Rita Pearson John Glenister
1969 Callan Jenny Lauther Robert Tronson
Special Branch Sarah Landring Jonathan Alwyn
1973 Hadleigh Jennifer Caldwell
1976 Space 1999 Laura Adams Ray Austin

Notes

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.