Biography
Who is Hayley Mills?
Early life and education
Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills was born in Marylebone, United Kingdom, on April 18, 1946. She is the daughter of British actor John Mills and actress Mary Hayley Bell. Her sister is the actress Juliet Mills. She attended the Elmhurst Ballet School during her youth.
Rise to child stardom
Hayley Mills began her professional acting career at age 12. She secured a role in the 1959 British crime drama Tiger Bay, which co-starred her father. Producer Bill Anderson later cast her in the 1960 Disney film Pollyanna, which earned her the Academy Juvenile Award. She became the final person to receive this specific honor.
In 1961, she starred as twins Susan and Sharon in the popular film The Parent Trap. She also sang the hit song Let's Get Together for the production. That same year, she starred in Whistle Down the Wind, which was based on a novel by her mother. She was voted the biggest star in Britain for 1961 due to her successful film appearances.
Transitioning to adult roles
Following her time at Disney, Hayley Mills pursued more diverse and mature acting projects. She starred in The Truth About Spring in 1965 alongside her father. In 1966, she appeared in The Trouble with Angels, playing a student at a boarding school. She also took a role in The Family Way, directed by Roy Boulting, whom she married in 1971.
She continued working in films through the 1970s, including Endless Night and The Kingfisher Caper. She also expanded into stage acting, making her West End debut in a 1970 production of The Wild Duck. These roles helped her transition away from the child actor image she had cultivated earlier.
Later career and memoirs
Throughout her later career, she appeared in several television and independent film productions. She starred in the 1981 mini-series The Flame Trees of Thika and took the title role in the 1988 Disney series Good Morning, Miss Bliss. Between 2007 and 2012, she portrayed the character Caroline in the ITV series Wild at Heart.
She also acted in the independent film 2BPerfectlyHonest in 2004. In 2021, she published her memoir, titled Forever Young. This book detailed her early career, her time under contract with Disney, and her personal challenges. She is the mother of one child, Crispian Mills, and has been in relationships with Leigh Lawson and Firdous Bamji.
Birthday and age
Hayley Mills was born on April 18, 1946, which makes Hayley 80 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Hayley shares the date with 34 other famous people.
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