British theatre actress Margaret Leighton made her classical stage debut at age 16. The daughter of a businessman, she joined the Old Vic Company under the direction of Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson and in the late 40s and 50s earned kudos for her theatrical endeavors on both the London and Broadway stages. She was nominated for four Tony awards, winning twice. The tall, reedy, opulent lady with strikingly odd, yet fascinating facial features also gave rich performances on film, stealing more than a few features away from the stars with her neurotic, brittle matrons and their unique brand of sophisticated eccentricity. Her first husband was noted publisher Max Reinhardt, famous for his collection of letters and photographs from playwright and novelist George Bernard Shaw. Her second husband was actor Laurence Harvey, who appeared with her in the movie Les bons meurent jeunes (1954). Both marriages ended in divorce. Her last marriage to actor Michael Wilding, who co-starred with her in La vie tumultueuse de Lady Caroline Lamb (1972), was a long and enduring match up. Other notable screen credits include Un mari presque fidèle (1955), Les femmes du général (1962), La folle de Chaillot (1969) and the TV-movie, Great Expectations (1974) as the incomparable Miss Havisham. In 1971, Margaret was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis but didn't let it slow her down. Even by 1975 when she was no longer capable of walking, she continued to act. She died from complications of the disease the following year.
