Hayley Mills

Hayley Catherine Rose Vivian Mills (born April 18, 1946) is an English actress.

She is the younger daughter of the late actor Sir John Mills, and the late playwright Mary Hayley Bell. She is also the younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, who appears on the U.S. soap opera Passions.

Mills was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay (1959). Walt Disney's wife, Lillian Disney, loved her acting in Tiger Bay, and suggested to Walt that Hayley be given the lead role in Pollyanna (1960). Walt adored Hayley instantly, quickly cast her in Pollyanna, and Hayley's career was born. Her infectious portrayal of the "glad girl" who moves in with her aunt catapulted Mills to super-stardom in the United States. It also earned Mills a special Oscar.

Disney knew that Mills would grow up fast, so he made every effort to capture her youth on camera as much as possible. This led to Mills being cast as twins Sharon and Susan who reunite their divorced parents in The Parent Trap (1961). Mills made four additional films for Disney in a four-year span, including In Search of the Castaways (1962), Summer Magic (1963), The Moon-Spinners (1964), and That Darn Cat! (1965). During her six-year run at Disney, Mills was arguably the most popular child actress of the era. Critics found it delightfully interesting that America's favorite child star was, in fact, quite British and very lady-like. In 1998, she was awarded the prestigious Disney Legend award by The Walt Disney Company.

In addition to her Disney movies, Mills took the lead in several other films, notably Whistle Down the Wind (1961) (based on the book of the same title written by her mother), The Truth About Spring (1964) and The Chalk Garden (1964).

After her contract with Disney expired in 1966, Mills starred in the innocuous The Trouble with Angels (1966) opposite Rosalind Russell. Looking to break from her clean-cut, girl-next-door image Mills, went home to England to star in The Family Way (1966). Though meant to be a light British comedy about a couple having difficulty consummating their marriage, a brief shot of Mills' bum generated a certain amount of controversy upon first release. Though harmless by today's standards, The Family Way hurt Mills' film career.

It was while filming The Family Way that 20-year-old Mills met 53-year old director Roy Boulting, who was 33 years her senior. In 1971, Mills and Boulting were married; they were later divorced in 1977. The couple had one child, Crispian, who became a vocalist and lead guitarist for the band Kula Shaker. Mills' second son, Jason Lawson, is the product of a 1970s relationship with British actor Leigh Lawson.

Hayley Mills, as she appeared in the 2003 UK theatre production of Humble Boy.

Mills has starred in many shows and plays since, more notably as the title character in Good Morning, Miss Bliss (the short-lived precursor to Saved by the Bell), and as Anna Leonowens in the British production of The King and I.

She made her Off-Broadway debut in Sir Noel Coward's Suite in Two Keys in 2000 opposite American actress Judith Ivey.

Filmography

#Stricken (2005)... Hildy#2BPerfectlyHonest (2004)... Terri#A Troll in Central Park (1994)... Hilary (voice)#After Midnight (1990)... Sally Ryan#Back Home (1990) (TV)... Mrs. Peggy Dickinson#Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon (1989) (TV)... Susan Wyatt/Sharon Evers#Parent Trap III (1989) (TV)... Susan/Sharon Grand#Appointment with Death (1988) (TV)... Miss Quinton#Good Morning, Miss Bliss (also known as Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years) (1987) (TV series)... Miss Carrie Bliss#Parent Trap II (1986) (TV)... Sharon Ferris/Susan Corey#Grimm's Fairy Tales and Storybook Series (1984) (TV series)#The Flame Trees of Thika (1981) (mini series)... Tilly Grant#The Kingfisher Caper (1975)... Tracy#Only a Scream Away (1974) (TV)... Samantha Miller#Deadly Strangers (1974)... Belle Adams#What Changed Charley Farthing? (1974)... Jenny#Endless Night (1971)... Fenella "Ellie" Thomsen#Mr. Forbush and the Penguins (1971)... Tara St. John Luke#Take a Girl Like You (1970)... Jenny Bunn#Twisted Nerve (1968)... Susan Harper#Pretty Polly (1967)... Polly Barlow#Africa - Texas Style! (1967)... Blonde girl at airport (uncredited)#The Family Way (1966)... Jenny Fitton#The Daydreamer (1966)... The Little Mermaid (voice)#The Trouble with Angels... Mary Clancy#Sky West and Crooked... Brydie White#That Darn Cat! (1965)... Patricia "Patti" Randall#The Moon-Spinners (1964)... Nikky Ferris#The Chalk Garden (1964)... Laurel#The Truth About Spring (1964)... Spring Tyler#Summer Magic (1963)... Nancy Clarey#In Search of the Castaways (1962)... Mary Grant#Whistle Down the Wind (1961)... Kathy Bostock#The Parent Trap (1961)... Sharon McKendrick/Susan Evers#The Spiral Staircase (1961) (TV)#Pollyanna (1960)... Pollyanna Whittier#Tiger Bay (1959)... Gillie

External links

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* Classic Movies (1939 - 1969): Hayley Mills
* Manager's site