Hayley Mills

Hayley Mills
Born	Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (1946-04-18) 18 April 1946 London, England, UK
Education	Elmhurst Ballet School
Occupation(s)	Actress, singer
Years active	1947–present
Spouse	Roy Boulting (1971–1977)
Partner(s)	Leigh Lawson (1975–1984) Firdous Bamji (current)
Children	Crispian Mills Jason 'Ace' Lawson
Parent(s)	Sir John Mills Mary Hayley Bell
Relatives	Juliet Mills (sister)

Hayley Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, Mills began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising newcomer, winning the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Tiger Bay (1959), the Academy Juvenile Award for Pollyanna (1960) and Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress in 1961. During her early career, she appeared in several films for Walt Disney, and is perhaps best known for her dual role as twins Susan and Sharon in the Disney film The Parent Trap (1961).

During the late 1960s she began performing in theatrical plays, and played in more mature roles. The age of contracts with studios soon passed. Although she has not maintained the box office success or the Hollywood A-list she experienced as a child actress, she has continued to make films and TV appearances.

From 2007 to 2012, Mills played Caroline, a main character in the ITV1 Series Wild at Heart.

Early life and career

Mills was born in London. She was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay, which co-starred her father. Bill Anderson, one of Walt Disney's producers, saw her performance and suggested that Mills be given the lead role in Pollyanna. The role of the orphaned "glad girl" who moves in with her aunt catapulted Mills to super-stardom in the United States and earned her a special Academy Award (the last person to receive the Juvenile Oscar).

Disney subsequently cast Mills as twins Sharon and Susan who reunite their divorced parents in The Parent Trap. In the film, Mills sings "Let's Get Together" as a duet with herself. She made four additional films for Disney in a four-year span, including In Search of the Castaways and Summer Magic. Her final two Disney films, The Moon-Spinners and That Darn Cat!, did very well at the box office.

During her six-year run at Disney, Mills was arguably the most popular child actress of the era. Critics noted that America's favorite child star was, in fact, quite British and very ladylike. The success of "Let's Get Together" (which hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 17 in Britain) also led to the release of a record album on Disney's Buena Vista label, Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills, which also included her only other hit song, "Johnny Jingo" (Billboard No. 21, 1962). In 1962 British exhibitors voted her the most popular film actress in the country.

In addition to her Disney films, Mills starred in several other films, notably Whistle Down the Wind 1961, (based on the book of the same title written by her mother, Mary Hayley Bell), with Alan Bates, The Truth About Spring (with her father, John Mills, cast as her father and James MacArthur as the love interest), and The Chalk Garden, 1964 from the play by Enid Bagnold.

Mills was considered for the role of Lolita Haze in Stanley Kubrick's 1962 film version of Lolita. However, Walt Disney discouraged the casting, feeling the role was not up to Disney's wholesome standard, and the part eventually went to Sue Lyon.

In 1962 Disney announced plans to film I Capture the Castle, from the novel by Dodie Smith, with Hayley Mills in the role of Cassandra. However, Disney never produced the film.

Post-Disney film career

After her contract with Disney, Mills scored a hit in The Trouble with Angels (1966), as a prankish Catholic boarding school girl with "scathingly brilliant" schemes, opposite screen veteran Rosalind Russell, and directed by another Hollywood veteran, Ida Lupino. Looking to break from her girl-next-door image, Mills returned to Britain to appear as a mentally challenged teenager in the film Sky West and Crooked, which was directed by her father and written by her mother. Shortly thereafter, Mills appeared alongside her father and Hywel Bennett in director Roy Boulting's critically acclaimed film The Family Way, a comedy about a couple having difficulty consummating their marriage, featuring a score by Paul McCartney and arrangements by Beatles producer George Martin. She eventually married Roy Boulting in 1971. She then starred as the protagonist of Pretty Polly, opposite famous Indian film actor Shashi Kapoor in Singapore, and appeared in the controversial horror thriller Twisted Nerve in 1968, along with her Family Way co-star Hywel Bennett. In 1972 she again acted opposite Hywel Bennett in Endless Night along with Britt Ekland, Per Oscarsson and George Sanders. It is based on the novel Endless Night by Agatha Christie. After her appearance in The Kingfisher Caper in 1975, Mills dropped out of the film industry for a few years.

Television resurgence and reception

In 1981 Mills returned to acting with a starring role in the UK television mini-series The Flame Trees of Thika, based on Elspeth Huxley's memoir of her childhood in East Africa. The series was well received, prompting Mills to accept more acting roles. She then returned to America, and made two appearances on The Love Boat.

Always welcomed at Disney, Mills narrated an episode of The Wonderful World of Disney, sparking renewed interest in her Disney work. In 1986 she reprised her roles as twins Sharon and Susan for a trio of Parent Trap television films: The Parent Trap II, The Parent Trap III, and The Parent Trap IV: Hawaiian Honeymoon. Mills also starred as the title character in the Disney Channel-produced television series Good Morning, Miss Bliss in 1987. The show was cancelled after 13 episodes, and the rights were acquired by NBC, which reformatted Good Morning, Miss Bliss into Saved by the Bell. In recognition for her work with The Walt Disney Company, Mills was awarded the prestigious Disney Legends award in 1998.

Mills recalled her childhood in the 2000 documentary film Sir John Mills' Moving Memories which was written by her brother Jonathan. In 2007 she began appearing (alongside her sister Juliet) as Caroline in the ITV1 African vet drama, Wild at Heart.

In 2005 Mills appeared in the acclaimed short film, Stricken, written and directed by Jayce Bartok.

In 2010 Mills appeared in Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure, based on one of the popular Mandie novels of Lois Gladys Leppard.

Stage career

Mills made her stage debut in a 1966 West End revival of Peter Pan. In 2000 she made her Off Broadway debut in Sir Noël Coward's Suite in Two Keys, opposite American actress Judith Ivey, for which she won a Theatre World Award. In 1991 she appeared as Anna Leonowens in the Australian production of The King and I. In December 2007, for their annual birthday celebration to "The Master", The Noël Coward Society invited Mills as the guest celebrity to lay flowers in front of Coward's statue at New York's Gershwin Theatre, thereby commemorating the 108th birthday of Sir Noel.

In 2012 Mills starred as Ursula Widdington in the stage production of Ladies in Lavender at the Royal & Derngate Theatre, before embarking on a national UK tour.

Personal life

While filming The Family Way, the 20-year-old Mills met 53-year-old director Roy Boulting. The two married in 1971, and owned a flat in London's Kensington. They then went on to purchase Cobstone Windmill in Ibstone, Buckinghamshire. Their son, Crispian Mills, achieved recognition as the lead singer and guitarist for the raga rock band Kula Shaker. The couple divorced in 1977. Mills currently lives in New York City and London.

Mills later had a second son, Jason Lawson, during a relationship with British actor Leigh Lawson. Mills' current (2012) partner is Firdous Bamji.

Mills has had involvement with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (the "Hare Krishna" movement). She wrote the preface to the book, The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking, published in 1984. Mills has been a pescetarian (i.e., one who eats fish but not meat) since the late 1990s.

In 1988 she co-edited, with Marcus Maclaine, the book My God, which consisted of brief letters from celebrities on their beliefs (or lack thereof) regarding God and the life to come.

On 18 April 2008, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery and chemotherapy and told Good Housekeeping Magazine in January 2012 that she had recovered.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1959	Tiger Bay	Gillie
1960	Pollyanna	Pollyanna	Won an Academy Juvenile Award, the last awarded
1961	The Parent Trap	Susan Evers / Sharon McKendrick
1961	Whistle Down the Wind	Kathy Bostock
1962	In Search of the Castaways	Mary Grant
1963	Summer Magic	Nancy Carey
1964	The Chalk Garden	Laurel
1964	The Moon-Spinners	Nikky Ferris
1965	The Truth About Spring	Spring Tyler
1965	Gypsy Girl	Brydie White
1965	That Darn Cat!	Patricia "Patti" Randall
1966	The Trouble with Angels	Mary Clancy
1966	The Daydreamer	The Little Mermaid	Voice
1966	The Family Way	Jenny Fitton
1967	Pretty Polly	Polly Barlow	Alternate title: A Matter of Innocence
1968	Twisted Nerve	Susan Harper
1970	Take a Girl Like You	Jenny Bunn
1971	Mr. Forbush and the Penguins	Tara St. John Luke
1972	Endless Night	Ellie
1975	The Kingfisher Caper	Tracey Van Der Byl
1976	The Bananas Boat	Jenny
1976	Deadly Strangers	Belle Adams
1988	Appointment with Death	Miss Quinton
1990	After Midnight	Sally Ryan
1994	A Troll in Central Park	Hillary	Voice
2004	2BPerfectlyHonest	Terri
2005	Stricken	Hildy	Short film
2010	Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure	Mary Elizabeth Taft
2011	Foster	Mrs. Lange

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	Thriller	Samantha Miller	Episode: "Only a Scream Away"
1979	The Love Boat	Shirley Tyson	1 episode
1980	The Love Boat	Leila Stanhope	1 episode
1981	The Flame Trees of Thika	Tilly	7 episodes
1983	Tales of the Unexpected	Claire Hawksworth	Episode: "A Sad Loss"
1985	The Love Boat	Dianne Tipton	2 episodes
1986	The Parent Trap II	Susan Corey / Sharon Ferris	Movie
1986	Murder, She Wrote	Cynthia Tate	Episode: "Unfinished Business"
1986	Amazing Stories	Joan Simmons	Episode: "The Greibble"
1987–89	Good Morning, Miss Bliss	Miss Carrie Bliss	Main role (14 episodes)
1989	Parent Trap III	Susan Evers / Sharon Grand	Movie
1989	The Parent Trap IV: Hawaiian Honeymoon	Susan Wyatt / Sharon Evers	Movie
1990	Back Home	Mrs. Peggy Dickinson	Movie
2007–12	Wild at Heart	Caroline Du Plessis	Regular role (39 episodes)
2014	Midsomer Murders	Lizzy Thornfield	Episode: "Wild Harvest"

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1969	Peter Pan	Peter Pan
1970	Three Sisters	Irina
1970	The Wild Duck	Hedvig
1972	Trelawny of the 'Wells'	Rose Trelawny
1975	A Touch of Spring	Alison
1977	Rebecca	Mrs. De Winter
1978	My Fat Friend
1979	The Importance of Being Earnest	Gwendolina
1980	The Summer Party
1982	Tally's Folly	Sally
1983	Dial M for Murder	Margot Wendice
1985	Toys in the Attic	Carrie
1991	The Kidnap Game
1991	The King and I	Anna
1992	Fallen Angels
1994	A Midsummer Night's Dream
1994	Hamlet	Gertrude
1994	The Card	Countess of Chell
1995	Dead Guilty	Margaret
1997	The King and I	Anna
2000	Two Can Play

Awards/Nominations

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Production	Result
1959	Berlin International Film Festival	Special Prize	Tiger Bay	Won
1960	BAFTA Awards	Most Promising Newcomer to Film	Tiger Bay	Won
1961	BAFTA Awards	Best British Actress	Pollyanna	Nominated
1961	Laurel Awards	Top Female New Personality		Won
1961	Academy Award	Juvenile Award	Pollyanna	Won
1961	Golden Globe Award	Most Promising Newcomer - Female		Won
1962	Golden Globe Award	Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy	The Parent Trap	Nominated
1962	Laurel Awards	Top Female Star		Nominated
1962	Laurel Awards	Top Female Comedy Performance	The Parent Trap	Nominated
1962	BAFTA Awards	Best British Actress	Whistle Down the Wind	Nominated
1963	Laurel Awards	Top Female Star		Nominated
1964	Laurel Awards	Top Female Star		Nominated
1964	Golden Globe Award	Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy	Summer Magic	Nominated
1966	Laurel Awards	Female Star		Nominated
1966	Laurel Awards	Comedy Performance, Female	That Darn Cat!	Nominated
1967	Laurel Awards	Female Star		Nominated
2010	Golden Nymph	Outstanding Actress - Drama Series	Wild at Heart	Nominated

External links

• Hayley Mills at IMDb
• Hayley Comes Back to Her Richmond Roots