Eileen Atkins Movies and Career Information

Dame Eileen June Atkins, DBE (born 16 June 1934) is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. Atkins was born in the Mothers' Hospital in Clapton, a Salvation Army women's hostel in East London. Her mother, Annie Ellen (née Elkins), was a barmaid who was 46 when Eileen was born, and her father, Arthur Thomas Atkins, was a gas meter reader who was previously under-chauffeur to the Portuguese Ambassador. Atkins attended the Latymer School, Edmonton and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Her mother was told by a gypsy that Eileen would be a great dancer, so she was sent to dancing classes from an early age, and appeared dancing in working men's clubs as "Baby Eileen" throughout the war years. Her first stage appearance was at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in 1953. She also appeared on-stage with Laurence Olivier, John Thaw and James Bolam in Semi-Detached (1962) by David Turner. Among her accomplishments are the creation of two television series - along with Jean Marsh she created the concept for an original television series, titled Behind the Green Baize Door, which became the award-winning ITV series Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-75). Marsh played maid Rose for the