Athene Seyler
Birthday: 1889-05-31 | Place of Birth: Hackney, London, England, UKFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Athene Seyler, CBE (31 May 1889 – 12 September 1990) was an English actress. Although better known as a stage actress - she first appeared on the stage in 1909 - she made her film debut in 1921, and became known for playing slightly dotty old ladies in many British films from the 1930s to the 1960s. Her most memorable stage credits included Mrs. Malaprop in The Rivals, Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, and a double-act, with her good friend Dame Sybil Thorndike, as the murderous spinster sisters in Arsenic and Old Lace. Her film and television career lasted into the 1960s, and included roles in The Citadel (1938), Night of the Demon (1957), and The Avengers (1964, 1965). She was also a regular cast member in screen adaptations of Charles Dickens' novels. She virtually retired from acting after 1970, but continued making public appearances until well into the 1980s. In 1990, at the age of 101, she appeared at the National Theatre, talking about her long life and career. Athene Seyler was President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from 1950, and a member of the Theatrical Ladies' Guild. She also wrote The Craft of Comedy. She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1959.
Known For
Acting
Role
as Nellie Pringle
as Lady Corm
as Miss Farthingale
as Aunt Heather Chandler
as Aunt Phoebe Tonks
as Mrs Adelaide Hignett
as Sister Agness
as Aunt Buona
as Mao Tai Tai
as Dame Beatrice Appleby
as Miss Abigail
as Jeannie Lawson
as Miss Pross
as Mrs. Karswell
as Grannie (Victoria Clitterbern)
as Lady Hawkins
as Mrs. Arbuthnot
as Millie Williams
as Miss Mainbrace
as Consuelo Howard
as Mrs. Trapes
as Miss Honeycroft
as Mrs. Reginald Kellick
as Aunt Lin
as Nanny Gallop
as Princess Ivashin
