Judith Anderson
Australian actress acclaimed on stage, film, and television.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Dame Frances Margaret Anderson, known on stage and screen as Judith Anderson, was an Australian actress born on 10 February 1897 in Adelaide, South Australia. She built a long career across theatre, film, and television, earning two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and nominations for both a Grammy and an Academy Award.
The youngest of four children, Anderson was born to Jessie Margaret Saltmarsh, a former nurse, and James Anderson Anderson, a Scottish-born sharebroker and prospector. She attended Norwood, a private school, but left before graduating.
She made her professional debut in 1915 under the name Francee Anderson, playing Stephanie in *A Royal Divorce* at Sydney’s Theatre Royal. The company was led by Scottish actor Julius Knight, whom she credited for teaching her the basics of acting. She performed with him in adaptations of *The Scarlet Pimpernel*, *The Three Musketeers*, *Monsieur Beaucaire*, and *David Garrick*, and toured New Zealand in 1917.
Ambitious to leave Australia, Anderson chose the United States over London due to World War I. She spent four unsuccessful months in California, then moved to New York with no better luck. After a period of poverty and illness, she joined the Emma Bunting Stock Company at the Fourteenth Street Theatre in 1918–19, later touring with other stock companies.
Her Broadway debut came in *Up the Stairs* (1922), followed by *The Crooked Square* (1923) and a Chicago run of *Patches* (1923). *Peter Weston* (1923) had a short run. In 1924, she changed her stage forename to Judith and scored her first success with *Cobra*, co-starring Louis Calhern, which ran 35 performances. *The Dove* (1925) ran 101 performances and cemented her on Broadway. She toured Australia in 1927 with *Tea for Three*, *The Green Hat*, and *Cobra*. Back on Broadway, she appeared in *Behold the Bridegroom* (1927–28) and played the lead in *Anna* (1928), later replacing Lynn Fontanne in *Strange Interlude* (1929).
Anderson’s film debut was a Warner Bros. short, *Madame of the Jury* (1930), followed by her feature debut in *Blood Money* (1933). In 1931, she played the Unknown Woman in the American premiere of Pirandello’s *As You Desire Me*, which ran 142 performances. She appeared in a short-lived revival of *Mourning Becomes Electra* (1932), then *Firebird* (1932), *Conquest*, *The Drums Begin* (both 1933), and *The Mask and the Face* (1933, wi
- born
- 10 February 1897
- died
- 3 January 1992
- field
- Actress
- nationality
- Australian
- known_for
- Stage, film, and television career; two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award
Lore & Background
Judith Anderson was born Frances Margaret Anderson in Adelaide, South Australia, the youngest of four children. She made her professional debut in 1915 in Sydney, later moving to the United States after finding London difficult due to the war. After early struggles in California and New York, she found work with stock companies and made her Broadway debut in 1922. She changed her acting forename to Judith in 1924 and achieved her first Broadway triumph with *Cobra* that same year.
Anderson received a career boost when she was cast as Mrs. Danvers in Alfred Hitchcock's *Rebecca* (1940), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She continued to work in film and on stage, winning a Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance as Medea in 1947. She also won Emmy Awards for her television performances in *Macbeth* (1954) and again for playing Lady Macbeth in 1960.
Reader's Guide
Judith Anderson's significance lies in her versatility across stage, film, and television, earning top honors in each medium. Her portrayal of Mrs. Danvers in *Rebecca* remains iconic, while her stage work, particularly as Medea and Lady Macbeth, solidified her reputation as a powerful dramatic actress. She was one of the few performers to win both a Tony and two Emmys, and her career spanned from the early 20th century into the 1960s, influencing generations of actors. Her legacy is that of a disciplined, ambitious artist who successfully transitioned from Australian theatre to international acclaim.
Did You Know?
- She made her professional debut in 1915 under the name Francee Anderson.
- She won a Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance as Medea in 1947.
- She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in *Rebecca* (1940).
- She toured Australia in 1927 with three plays: *Tea for Three*, *The Green Hat*, and *Cobra*.
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