Anna Massey
With a voice like dry sherry and a piercing intelligence, she became the definitive interpreter of Englishwomen navigating quiet desperation.
1937–2011 (age 74)·English actress·Birthday: August 11·The Silent Generation
Biography
Anna Massey inhabited British screens and stages with an unshakeable, slightly brittle precision. The daughter of actor Raymond Massey, she carved her own path, making a startling debut in the chilling 'Peeping Tom' at just 23. Her career was a masterclass in character acting, moving from Hitchcock's 'Frenzy' to countless television roles where she specialized in women of sharp wit and concealed vulnerability. Her triumph came as Edith Hope in 'Hotel du Lac,' a performance that won her a BAFTA and perfectly captured the ache of a romance novelist exiled by her own heart. On stage, she commanded equal authority, earning an Olivier Award. Massey's gift was to make restraint compelling, finding volumes of meaning in a tightened lip or a weary glance.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Anna was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anna Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Anna's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2011Died at 74
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1986 adaptation of 'Hotel du Lac.'
- Received the Laurence Olivier Award for Actress of the Year in a Revival for 'The Importance of Being Earnest' in 1982.
- Delivered iconic film performances in Michael Powell's 'Peeping Tom' and Alfred Hitchcock's 'Frenzy.'
- Accumulated over one hundred film and television credits across a five-decade career.
Did You Know?
She published an autobiography, 'Telling Some Tales,' in 2006.
Massey was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2004.
Her brother, Daniel Massey, was also an acclaimed actor.
She initially trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art but left early to begin her professional career.
“I'm not a star; I'm an actress. There's a difference.”
