'Frenzy' actor Barbara Leigh-Hunt (88) dies
Barbara Leigh-Hunt, the British actor best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy, has sadly passed away at 88. Her family revealed that she died on September 16 at her home in Warwickshire, England. The cause of death hasn't been shared yet. In Frenzy (1972), Leigh-Hunt played Brenda Blaney, a character who becomes a victim of the notorious "Necktie Murderer" in London.
Leigh-Hunt's journey from stage to screen
Born on December 14, 1935, in Bath, Leigh-Hunt first gained recognition on the London stage. She won an Olivier Award for her portrayal of Sybil Birling in Stephen Daldry's 1993 revival of An Inspector Calls at the National Theater. Her performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company included roles in Henry V, Measure for Measure, and Love's Labour's Lost. She also played Ophelia in Hamlet opposite her husband Richard Pasco.
Leigh-Hunt's Broadway and television appearances
Leigh-Hunt also shone on Broadway in the 1950s, starring in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, and King Henry V. She made a comeback to the Great White Way in the mid-'70s with the play Sherlock Holmes. On the small screen, she had an equally impressive career, appearing in a ton of British series and portraying Lady Catherine de Bourgh opposite Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in the BBC's 1995 miniseries Pride & Prejudice.
Leigh-Hunt's filmography and final farewell
Leigh-Hunt's filmography is extensive, with films like Henry VIII and His Six Wives, Oh Heavenly Dog, A Merry War, Billy Elliot, and most recently Mira Nair's 2004 Vanity Fair. Reflecting on her career in a 2017 BBC interview, she recalled being invited to Pinewood Studios by Hitchcock himself. Despite her initial doubts about landing a role due to her lack of film experience at the time, she was pleasantly surprised when she secured the part. May she rest in peace.
