Anna Lee English actress Date of Birth: 02.01.1913 Country: USA

1. Biography of Anna Lee
2. Early Career
3. Collaboration with John Ford
4. Television and Later Career
5. Personal Life and Legacy

Biography of Anna Lee

Anna Lee was born as Joan Boniface Winnifrith on January 2, 1913, in Aylesbury, Kent, England. Her father, a priest, supported Anna's desire to pursue an acting career. She was also the goddaughter of author Arthur Conan Doyle.

Early Career

Anna Lee started her career by enrolling in the Royal Albert Hall and made her big screen debut in the British musical comedy "His Lordship" in 1932. When she and her first husband, director Robert Stevenson, moved to Hollywood, her future was greatly influenced by John Ford, who invited her to appear in several of his films.

Collaboration with John Ford

Thanks to the renowned director, Anna Lee played various roles in Ford's acclaimed films, including Bronwyn in the Oscar-winning drama "How Green Was My Valley" in 1941, Mrs. Malaprop in the western "Two Rode Together" in 1961, and Emily Collingwood in another western, "Fort Apache," in 1948.

Television and Later Career

Anna Lee also worked extensively in television, appearing in episodes of various series in the 1940s and 1950s, including "Robert Montgomery Presents," "Ford Theatre Hour," "Kraft Television Theatre," "Armstrong Circle Theatre," and "Wagon Train."

One of her most memorable roles, albeit a small one, was as Sister Margareta in the Oscar-winning musical "The Sound of Music" in 1965. Margareta supported the orphan Maria in the convent and was one of the two nuns who sabotaged the engine of the Nazi car to help the von Trapp family escape.

Anna continued her film career with roles such as Mrs. Bates, the neighbor of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis' characters, in Robert Aldrich's classic film "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" in 1962. In 1994, she took on one of the lead roles, an elderly woman, in Walerian Borowczyk's film "What Can I Do?"

In more recent years, Anna Lee gained recognition for her portrayal of Lila Quartermaine in the soap operas "General Hospital" and "Port Charles." However, she unexpectedly lost the role in 2003, which caused protest among the cast and soap opera community.

Personal Life and Legacy

Anna Lee was married three times. Her first marriage was to director Robert Stevenson in 1934, with whom she had two daughters, Venetia and Caroline. They divorced in March 1944, and the children stayed with their father. During World War II, she met and married pilot George Stafford in June 1944, and they had three sons, John, Stephen, and Tim. Her second marriage ended in divorce in 1964. Finally, she married writer Robert Nathan on April 5, 1970, who passed away in 1985.

Anna Lee passed away on May 14, 2004, in Beverly Hills, USA, shortly after being let go from "General Hospital." She died from pneumonia. A memorial service for her character Lila Quartermaine was held on May 16, 2004, in an episode of the show. On May 21, 2004, Anna Lee was posthumously awarded the Emmy for Lifetime Achievement, which was accepted by one of her sons.