Mona Washbourne

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Mona Lee Washbourne 27 November 1903 15 November 1988 was an English actress of stage film and television Her most critically acclaimed role was in the film Stevie 1978 late in her career for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award Mona Washbourne was born in Solihull Warwickshire and began her entertaining career training as a concert pianist In 1948 after several years acting professionally on stage and numerous stage musical performances she began appearing in films Her film credits include the horror movie The Brides of Dracula 1960 Billy Liar 1963 and The Collector 1965 She is probably best known to American audiences for her role as housekeeper Mrs Pearce in My Fair Lady 1964 She also appeared as the stern and caustic Mrs Bramson in the remake of Night Must Fall also 1964 and the matron in the film If 1968 She appeared at both the Royal Court Theatre in London and on Broadway in 1970 in David Storeys Home She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play In 1975 she appeared on the West End stage with James Stewart in a revival of Mary Chases play Harvey in the role originally taken by Josephine Hull Washbourne won the 1981 New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Stevie 1978 In 1981 Washbourne appeared in Granada Televisions TV miniseries adaptation of Evelyn Waughs novel Brideshead Revisited as Nanny Hawkins One of her last television appearances was in Wheres the Key 1983 a BBC play about Alzheimers disease Mona Washbourne was married to actor Basil Dignam 19051979 whom she wed in 1940 She died in 1988 aged 84 in London