Person Biography:
Diana Quick, a renowned British classical stage actress of Anglo-Indian descent, has had a prolific career, specializing in aristocratic ladies and members of royalty. Born on November 23, 1946, in London, she is the third of four children to amateur theatre players. Diana's interest in acting began at Dartford Grammar School for Girls in Kent, where she appeared in school plays, including "Arms and the Man". She went on to attend Oxford University, dedicating herself to extensive training and becoming the first female president of the Oxford University Dramatic Society.
Diana's early career included recurring roles in TV comedy series "The Best Things in Life" (1969) and small roles in films like "Nicholas and Alexandra" (1971). She continued to work in TV with guest appearances on various shows and returned to film in the latter half of the 1970s with support/featured roles in "The Duellists" (1977),"The Big Sleep" (1978),and "The Odd Job" (1978).
Her finest hour came with her portrayal of Lady Julia Flyte in the critically-acclaimed mini-series "Brideshead Revisited" (1981),earning a BAFTA TV Award nomination. She went on to work in TV with roles in "The Woman in White" (1982),"The Phantom of the Opera" (as Madame Bianchi),and various TV series.
In the millennium, Diana took on elegant character roles in films like "Saving Grace" (2000),"The Discovery of Heaven" (2001),and "The Affair of the Necklace" (2001),as well as TV series "Network 7", "Screenplay", "Minder", "The Justic Game", and "Alas Smith and Jones".
She has also written and directed for TV, and has been in long-standing relationships with actors Kenneth Cranham and Bill Nighy, with whom she had a child, actress Mary Nighy. Diana's paternal family's life in India was the subject of her book "A Tug on the Thread: From the British Raj to the British Stage", published in 2009.
