Joan Hickson

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Birthday:

5 August 1906, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, UK

Birth Name:

Joan Bogle Hickson

Height:

163 cm

Joan Hickson was born in 1906 at Kingsthorpe, Northampton. Her stage career began with provincial theater in 1927, going on to a long series of West End comedies, usually playing the part of a confused or eccentric middle-age woman. She performed at the Regent's Park Open Air Theater, at the time London was subject to World War II bombing. Her work gradually included screen roles: The Guinea Pig (1948), The Card (1952), The 39 Steps (1959) - over 80 movies in all - but her stage career continued, with parts in three Peter Nichols plays, Noël Coward's "Blithe Spirit" (1976) and and a Tony award supporting actress performance in Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce" (1977). Her first Agatha Christie role was "Miss Pryce" in the play, "Appointment With Death" (1946), which prompted Christie, herself, to write "I hope you will play my dear Miss Marple". She began playing this, her best known part, in her late 70s, in a BBC television series which ran from 1984 to 1992. A Miss Marple fan, Queen Elizabeth II, awarded her the Order of the British Empire in 1987. After the series closed, Joan recorded audio books of the Christie mysteries. She died, aged 92, in a hospital at Colchester, Essex, survived by a son and daughter (her physician husband Eric Butler died in 1967). Show less «

I was lucky not to have been born pretty.

I thought I was the wrong shape, that Miss Marple would be much fluffier than me, much more wearing shawls and things. But I was persuaded a...Show more »

I thought I was the wrong shape, that Miss Marple would be much fluffier than me, much more wearing shawls and things. But I was persuaded and now, well - I can only do it my way. Show less «

[on the death of her husband] I never really got over it, but my work was an enormous help. You simply have to go on.

[on her husband] He had no interest in the theatre. I don't think he ever came to see my work. After the show I would get on the train, go h...Show more »

[on her husband] He had no interest in the theatre. I don't think he ever came to see my work. After the show I would get on the train, go home and become Mrs Butler again. It was rather nice having two lives. Show less «

I wasn't beautiful, so there were plenty of character roles. I never did any Shakespeare, I'm far too superficial for that. I just act insti...Show more »

I wasn't beautiful, so there were plenty of character roles. I never did any Shakespeare, I'm far too superficial for that. I just act instinctively. Show less «

[on age] Once you stop, your brain goes, and when that happens it's all over.

[on being taken to her first pantomime, Cinderella, at the age of five] I was utterly entranced, and asked my parents to move as near to the...Show more »

[on being taken to her first pantomime, Cinderella, at the age of five] I was utterly entranced, and asked my parents to move as near to the theatre as possible. I knew immediately that the life I wanted was there. Show less «

I have never been a star, I'm just an old character bag.

I was never really pretty, so for someone like myself it's more useful to be a character actress than a leading actress... in television esp...Show more »

I was never really pretty, so for someone like myself it's more useful to be a character actress than a leading actress... in television especially, they want real wrinkles. Show less «

[on Miss Marple] I think she's a wonderful woman with a very clear outlook on life. Miss Marple believes in justice and has very high standa...Show more »

[on Miss Marple] I think she's a wonderful woman with a very clear outlook on life. Miss Marple believes in justice and has very high standards. There is nothing you could say or do that would shock her. Show less «

Retirement is fatal. If you retire you go POP.

[on being sent away to school during World War I] It was one of the first co-educational schools. I remember my Aunt Lizzie in tweeds and a ...Show more »

[on being sent away to school during World War I] It was one of the first co-educational schools. I remember my Aunt Lizzie in tweeds and a flying helmet running up and down the touchline shouting for our boys. Show less «

I love getting back to Wivenhoe. I get out of my wig, bustle and costume in three minutes flat at the end of the play before jumping into a ...Show more »

I love getting back to Wivenhoe. I get out of my wig, bustle and costume in three minutes flat at the end of the play before jumping into a taxi outside the theater and catching the train home. Show less «

[on being awarded an OBE] It must be because the programme (Miss Marple) has gone all over the world and is bringing in such lovely revenue....Show more »

[on being awarded an OBE] It must be because the programme (Miss Marple) has gone all over the world and is bringing in such lovely revenue. I think its enormous success is because it's so charmingly done. Show less «

[on disapproval from her relatives about acting] My Aunt Aggie - she was about 4 feet tall - drew herself up to her full height and said, 'W...Show more »

[on disapproval from her relatives about acting] My Aunt Aggie - she was about 4 feet tall - drew herself up to her full height and said, 'What is Joan's destination to be?' which she thought was the gutter, you see. Show less «

[on the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park during World War II] We kept one eye on the sky to see what was coming over. We used to feel the a...Show more »

[on the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park during World War II] We kept one eye on the sky to see what was coming over. We used to feel the audience were being... stupid because they sort of hurled themselves on the ground. Show less «

I watch these old films in black and white, and suddenly the door opens and there I am. The other day, I was wearing the most awful hat.