Who Am I? February 6, 2021

I was born in the U.K. to Mieke, a Dutch nurse, and
John, a gyno and obstetrician whose Jewish family
hailed from Poland. Dad served in the medical
branch of the R.A.F. in both Europe and South
Africa during WWII. Dad worked for the National
Health System. He was a pioneer of in vitro
fertilization and was a great supporter of dancing
and acting schools as well as artists of all kinds.
When we were kids my dad would read classics
like Homer’s “Odyssey” and “Iliad” aloud to my
sisters and me as we sat on his lap. Mom started
at at-home business importing and selling spirits
and luxury items to foreign embassies.

I trained at Letty Littlewood’s ballet school when I
was 7. I was entered into competitions and kept
winning. As a teenager I danced with the London
Festival Ballet and briefly with the Kirov when they
visited Convent Garden. A knee injury led me to
pursue an acting career. I tried out and was
accepted at the Arts Educational Trust where they
trained you in all the arts, including theater. Years
later, I did get one more opportunity to showcase
my dancing skills when I competed on “Dancing
with the Stars” in the early aughts.

I got a small role in a film playing ‘Pamela
Plowden,’ the “British Bulldog’s” first love. That role
brought me to the attention of major producers;
and that, in turn, led to a co-starring role opposite
Roger Moore in one of the James Bond movies.
After being a “Bond girl” I was advised to lose my
British accent, adopt an American accent, and to
seek my fortune in CA which I promptly did.

Many of you might know me from my many roles in
American TV mini-series or TV films. One of my
more notable TV films was based on a novel by
John Steinbeck when I reprised the role Jo Van
Fleet played in an earlier film version. I did some
Broadway work when I appeared as Constanza
Weber. 

I was blessed with many talents. I have been an
actor, a producer, a painter and an author;
however, you probably know me best as a film
actress because I have starred in over 40
miniseries and movies. In 2010 I made an
appearance and did some book signings at
Bookends in Ridgewood, N.J., practically a stone’s
throw from the JHSNJ. In addition to my acting
career, I am a busy mother of 4; however, I make it
my business to do extensive charity work.                                                                                   

I’ve earned an Emmy, 2 Golden Globes and a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Queen Elizabeth II
has even bestowed upon me the title of “Officer of
the British Empire.” Would you believe I have also
done 3 Playboy pictorials over a 45 year period?!
I am sure you know me by now. 

(1a)Who Am I?
(1b)What do I share in common with Henry VIII?
(2a) In what movie did I play the role of ‘Pamela
Plowden’? (2b)What James Bond movie was I in?
(3a)What TV film, based on a John Steinbeck
novel, brought me widespread recognition? (3b) In
what Broadway play was I ‘Constanza’? (4)What
do I have in common with actress Colleen Moore
and baseball pitching ace Max Scherzer? (5)Name
at least 1 charity that I support. (6a) What are my
most treasured possessions? (6b)What is my
“greatest joy?”