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	~~{{short description\|British actress}}{{EngvarB\|date=October 2017}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=October 2017}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]		\| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire\|OBE]]
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	\| name = Virginia McKenna		\| name = Virginia McKenna
	\| birth_name = Virginia Anne McKenna		\| birth_name = Virginia Anne McKenna
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date and age\|df=yes\|1931\|6\|7}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date and age\|df=yes\|1931\|06\|07}}
	\| birth_place = [[Marylebone]], [[County of London]], (now [[Inner London]]) England		\| birth_place = [[Marylebone]], [[County of London]], (now [[Inner London]]) England
	\| years_active = 1952–present		\| years_active = 1952–present

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	*[http://www.bornfree.org.uk/ Born Free Foundation]		*[http://www.bornfree.org.uk/ Born Free Foundation]
	*[http://www.fatheroflions.org/GeorgeAdamson_Photos_VM.html Photos from Virginia Mckenna and the Lions from the film Born Free.]		*[http://www.fatheroflions.org/GeorgeAdamson_Photos_VM.html Photos from Virginia Mckenna and the Lions from the film Born Free.]
	*[http://www.eileanban.org/ Eilean Bàn] home to the [[Gavin Maxwell]] museum, author of ''Ring of Bright Water''		*[http://www.eileanban.org/ Eilean Bàn] home to the [[w:Gavin Maxwell\|Gavin Maxwell]] museum, author of ''Ring of Bright Water''
	*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20040926.shtml 2004 Virginia McKenna Brief profile]		*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20040926.shtml 2004 Virginia McKenna Brief profile]
	*[http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/ The Cinnamon Trust]		*[http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/ The Cinnamon Trust]

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	*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20040926.shtml 2004 Virginia McKenna Brief profile]		*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20040926.shtml 2004 Virginia McKenna Brief profile]
	*[http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/ The Cinnamon Trust]		*[http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/ The Cinnamon Trust]
	*[https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/virginia-mckenna] British Entertainment History Project interview		*[https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/virginia-mckenna British Entertainment History Project interview]

	{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Virginia}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Virginia}}

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 *[http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/ The Cinnamon Trust]
 *[https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/virginia-mckenna] British Entertainment History Project interview
 {{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Virginia}}

Kurt: 1 revision imported

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← Older revision	Revision as of 19:20, 21 October 2022
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2A00:23C8:8E90:AE01:7856:A833:E579:9EDD at 12:18, 1 August 2022

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{{short description|British actress}}{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]
| image = File:Virginiamckenna westminster (cropped).jpg
| caption = McKenna at an anti badger cull demonstration, Westminster, London, June 2013
| name = Virginia McKenna
| birth_name = Virginia Anne McKenna
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1931|6|7}}
| birth_place = [[Marylebone]], [[County of London]], (now [[Inner London]]) England
| years_active = 1952–present
| occupation = Stage and screen actress, author
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Denholm Elliott]]|1954|1957|reason=divorce}}<br/>{{marriage|[[Bill Travers]]|1957|1994|reason=died}}
| children = 4
}}

'''Virginia Anne McKenna''',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=Sf9%2Fwq9r218O8H9acQ5S1A&scan=1|title=Index entry|access-date=14 March 2011|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref> [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] (born 7 June 1931) is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner. She is best known for the films ''[[A Town Like Alice (film)|A Town Like Alice]]'' (1956), ''[[Carve Her Name with Pride]]'' (1958), ''[[Born Free (film)|Born Free]]'' (1966), and ''[[Ring of Bright Water]]'' (1969), as well as her work with The [[Born Free Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bornfree.org.uk/our-history|title=The History of Born Free|website=www.bornfree.org.uk|access-date=2019-04-25}}</ref>

==Early life==
McKenna was born in [[Marylebone]] to a theatrical family and was educated at Heron's Ghyll School, a former independent boarding school near the [[market town]] of [[Horsham]] in Sussex. She spent six years in [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]] before returning to the school at the age of fourteen, after which she attended the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]], at that time based at the [[Royal Albert Hall]], London.<ref>V&A, Theatre and Performance Special Collections, Elsie Fogerty Archive, THM/324</ref>

==Career==
Aged 19, McKenna spent six months at [[Dundee Repertory Theatre]]. She worked on stage in London's [[West End of London|West End]] theatre, making her debut in ''Penny for a Song''. She attracted attention on TV appearing in ''Winter's Tale'' with [[John Gielgud]] and ''Shout Aloud Salvation''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48285227 |title=ON STAGE AND SCREEN |newspaper=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]] |volume=95 |issue=29,489 |location=South Australia |date=18 April 1953 |access-date=25 September 2017 |page=7 }}</ref><ref name="mck">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article169460059 |title=VIRGINIA McKENNA CAUSES SENSATION |newspaper=[[Daily Mercury]] |volume=86 |issue=275 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=17 November 1952 |access-date=25 September 2017 |page=14 }}</ref>

McKenna's first film was ''[[The Second Mrs Tanqueray (1952 film)|The Second Mrs Tanqueray]]'' (1952), followed by a comedy, ''[[Father's Doing Fine]]'' (1952). She had a small role in the popular war film ''[[The Cruel Sea (1953 film)|The Cruel Sea]]'' (1953) and a better part in the low budget comedy ''[[The Oracle (film)|The Oracle]]'' (1953). She received excellent reviews for her stage performance in ''The River Line''.<ref name="mck"/>

From 1954 to 1955 she was a member of the [[Old Vic]] theatre company, appearing in ''Henry IV'' and ''Richard II'',<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71880994 |title=ENGLISH OTERS GOBBLE AT THEIR FIRST T.V. POLL |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus]] |location=Victoria, Australia |date=7 May 1955 |access-date=25 September 2017 |page=13 }}
</ref> and was married for a few months in 1954 to actor [[Denholm Elliott]], whom she met on the set of ''[[The Cruel Sea (1953 film)|The Cruel Sea]]''. Their marriage ended owing to his affairs with men.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://news1.ghananation.com/index.php?news=29577 | title= Virginia McKenna, her fiery marriage and the husband who cheated on her with a Moroccan gigolo | work=Ghana Nation | first=Michael | last=Thornton | access-date=23 April 2013}}</ref> In 1957, she married actor [[Bill Travers]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Bill travers weds actress. |date=20 September 1957 |newspaper=The New York Times |id={{ProQuest|114348031}} }} Library login required</ref> with whom she had four children and to whom she remained married until his death in 1994.

McKenna returned to films with ''[[Simba (1955 film)|Simba]]'' (1955), a drama about the [[Mau Mau rebellion|Mau Mau]], playing [[Dirk Bogarde]]'s love interest. Rank signed her to a long term contract<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article41448701 |title=Filin Fan Fare |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] |volume=23 |issue=4 |location=Australia |date=22 June 1955 |access-date=25 September 2017 |page=31 }}</ref> and director [[Brian Desmond Hurst]] said "She has a terrific future, properly handled. She has all the qualities of a young
Bergman and a young [[Katharine Hepburn]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58099061 |title=Jack Buchanan may begin a new career |newspaper=[[The Mail (Adelaide)|The Mail]] |volume=44 |issue=2,208 |location=South Australia |date=2 October 1954 |access-date=25 September 2017 |page=68 }}</ref> McKenna was also in ''[[The Ship That Died of Shame]]'' (1955).

===Stardom===
McKenna was given the lead role in the war time drama ''[[A Town Like Alice (film)|A Town Like Alice]]'' (1956), opposite [[Peter Finch]]. The movie was a big hit at the box office and McKenna won the [[BAFTA Award|BAFTA Award for Best Actress]] for her performance.<ref>"BRITISH FILMS MADE MOST MONEY: BOX-OFFICE SURVEY" ''The Manchester Guardian'' 28 December 1956: 3</ref> Exhibitors voted her the fourth most popular British star.<ref>The Most Popular Film Star In Britain. The Times (London, England), Friday, 7 December 1956; pg. 3</ref>

Travers and McKenna received an offer to go to Hollywood to appear in ''[[The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957 film)|The Barretts of Wimpole Street]]'' (1957). Travers played [[Robert Browning]] and McKenna had the support part of [[Elizabeth Barrett Browning]]'s sister. The movie flopped at the box office. The same year, Travers and McKenna, along with [[Margaret Rutherford]] and [[Peter Sellers]], co-starred in the comedy ''[[The Smallest Show on Earth]]'', made back in Britain.

McKenna had another hit with ''[[Carve Her Name with Pride]]'' (1958), playing [[Second World War]] [[Special Operations Executive|SOE]] agent [[Violette Szabo]]. She was nominated for another BAFTA Award and was voted the fifth most popular British star of 1958 (and the ninth most popular regardless of nationality).

She and Travers were reunited in ''[[Passionate Summer]]'' (1959), then she had a support part in MGM's ''[[The Wreck of the Mary Deare (film)|The Wreck of the Mary Deare]]'' (1959). McKenna and Travers were also in ''[[Two Living, One Dead]]'' (1961), shot in Sweden. She was in an adaptation of ''[[A Passage to India]]'' for the BBC in 1965.

===''Born Free''===
McKenna is best remembered for her 1966 role as [[Joy Adamson]] in the true-life film ''[[Born Free]]'' for which she received a nomination for a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globe]]. It was not only a huge success at the box office but a life changing experience for her and her husband Bill Travers who co-starred with her, portraying game warden and conservationist [[George Adamson]]. The experience led them to become active supporters for wild [[animal rights]] as well as the protection of their natural [[Habitat (ecology)|habitat]].

McKenna and Travers starred in another animal-themed story, ''[[Ring of Bright Water (film)|Ring of Bright Water]]'' (1969), but it failed to match ''Born Free''<nowiki/>'s success.

McKenna appeared in ''[[An Elephant Called Slowly]]''. The film features her close friend conservationist George Adamson and also elephants Eleanor (brought up by conservationist [[Daphne Sheldrick]]) and young Pole Pole. The subsequent premature death of Pole Pole in [[London Zoo]] led to McKenna and her husband to establish Zoo Check in 1984 with their eldest son [[Will Travers]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/8257102/Virginia-McKenna-freedoms-deadly-price.html|title=Virginia McKenna: freedom's deadly price|last=Gilchrist|first=Roderick|date=2011-01-13|access-date=2020-01-16|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> Zoo Check was renamed Born Free Foundation in 1991. In 1984 McKenna was involved with a protest against the poor conditions at [[Southampton Common|Southampton Zoo]] which was closed a year later.<ref name=gale>{{cite news |last=Gale |first=Jez |title=The beasts that brought Southampton to life |url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/heritage/news/13418233.The_beasts_that_brought_Southampton_to_life/ |newspaper=Southern Daily Echo |access-date=14 July 2015 }}</ref>

===Later career===
McKenna occasionally acted in films, notably ''[[Waterloo (1970 film)|Waterloo]]'' (1970), ''[[Swallows and Amazons (1974 film)|Swallows and Amazons]]'' (1974), ''[[The Gathering Storm (1974 film)|The Gathering Storm]]'' (1974), and ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1976 TV film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (1976).

On the stage, in 1979 she won the [[Laurence Olivier Awards|Olivier Award]] for Best Actress in a British musical for her performance opposite [[Yul Brynner]] in ''[[The King and I]]''. Over the years she appeared in more films but was also very active with television roles and on stage where she continues to make occasional appearances.

McKenna has also been responsible for helping create and furnish the [[Gavin Maxwell]] Museum<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eileanban.org/|title=Welcome to Eilean Bàn|website=www.eileanban.org|access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref> on [[Eilean Bàn, Lochalsh|Eilean Bàn]], the last island home of Maxwell, an author and [[natural history|naturalist]], most famous for his book ''[[Ring of Bright Water]]''. McKenna and husband Bill Travers starred in the [[Ring of Bright Water (film)|1969 film adaptation]] of the book.

McKenna is still actively involved at Born Free Foundation as a Trustee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bornfree.org.uk/team/branches/born-free-uk|title=Meet our UK team|website=www.bornfree.org.uk|access-date=2019-04-25}}</ref>

==Other interests==
McKenna was made an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the [[2004 New Year Honours]] for services to wildlife and to the arts. Her autobiography, ''The Life in My Years'', was published by [[Oberon Books]] in March 2009.

In 1975 she released an album of twelve songs called ''Two Faces of Love'', which included two of her own compositions and a sung version of the poem "[[The Life That I Have]]" from the film ''[[Carve Her Name with Pride]]''. The record was released on the Gold Star label with two line drawings of McKenna by her sister-in-law [[Linden Travers]], but these were replaced by a photograph when the album was reissued on the Rim label in 1979.

Her audiobook work includes ''[[The Secret Garden]]'' by [[Frances Hodgson Burnett]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.silksoundbooks.com/audiobook-genres/childrens-books/the-secret-garden.html|title=The Secret Garden Audio Book Download for your iPod : download from Silksoundbooks|website=www.silksoundbooks.com|access-date=2019-06-26}}</ref> and narration of ''[[The Lonely Doll]]'' by [[Dare Wright]].

She is a patron of [[Cinnamon Trust]], a national charity that helps elderly people to keep their pets.

==Family==
McKenna and Travers had four children together, one of whom is [[Will Travers]]. She is the grandmother of actress [[Lily Travers]].

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
|rowspan=2|1952
|''[[Father's Doing Fine]]''
|Catherine
|
|-
|''[[The Second Mrs. Tanqueray]]''
|Ellean Tanqueray
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1953
|''[[The Cruel Sea (1953 film)|The Cruel Sea]]''
|Julie Hallam
|
|-
|''[[The Oracle (film)|The Oracle]]''
|Shelagh
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1955
|''[[Simba (1955 film)|Simba]]''
|Mary Crawford
|
|-
|''[[The Ship That Died of Shame]]''
|Helen Randall
|
|-
|1956
|''[[A Town Like Alice (film)|A Town Like Alice]]''
|Jean Paget
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA Award for Best British Actress]]
|-
|rowspan=2|1957
|''[[The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957 film)|The Barretts of Wimpole Street]]''
|Henrietta Barrett
|
|-
|''[[The Smallest Show on Earth]]''
|Jean Spenser
|
|-
|rowspan=2|1958
|''[[Carve Her Name with Pride]]''
|Violette Szabo
|Nominated – [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA Award for Best British Actress]]
|-
|''[[Passionate Summer]]''
|Judy Waring
|aka ''Storm Over Jamaica''
|-
|1959
|''[[The Wreck of the Mary Deare (film)|The Wreck of the Mary Deare]]''
|Janet Taggart
|
|-
|1961
|''[[Two Living, One Dead]]''
|Helen Berger
|
|-
|1965
|''[[A Passage to India]]''
|Adela Quested
|(TV)
|-
|1966
|''[[Born Free]]''
|[[Joy Adamson]]
|Nominated – [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama]]
|-
|rowspan=2|1969
|''[[Ring of Bright Water (film)|Ring of Bright Water]]''
|Mary MacKenzie
|
|-
|''[[An Elephant Called Slowly]]''
|Ginny
|
|-
|1970
|''[[Waterloo (1970 film)|Waterloo]]''
|[[Charlotte Lennox, Duchess of Richmond|Duchess of Richmond]]
|
|-
|1972-1973
|''[[The Edwardians (miniseries)|The Edwardians]]''
|[[Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick]]
|BBC Television miniseries
|-
|rowspan=2|1974
|''[[Swallows and Amazons (1974 film)|Swallows and Amazons]]''
|Mother
|
|-
|''[[The Gathering Storm (1974 film)|The Gathering Storm]]''
|Clemmie Churchill
|(TV)
|-
| 1975
|''[[Cheap in August: Shades of Green]]''
|Mary Watson
|(TV)Thames Television Series
|-
|1975
|''[[Beauty and the Beast (1976 TV film)|Beauty and the Beast]]''
|Lucy
|(TV)
|-
|rowspan=2|1977
|''[[Holocaust 2000]]''
|Eva Caine
|
|-
|''[[The Disappearance (film)|The Disappearance]]''
|Catherine
|
|-
|1979
|''[[Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]]''
|Portia
|([[BBC Television Shakespeare]])
|-
|1982
|''[[Blood Link]]''
|Woman in Ballroom
|
|-
|1992
|''[[The Camomile Lawn (TV serial)|The Camomile Lawn]]''
|Older Polly
|(TV miniseries)
|-
|1994
|''[[Staggered (film)|Staggered]]''
|Flora
|
|-
|1996
|''September''
|Violet
|(TV)
|-
|1998
|''[[Sliding Doors]]''
|James's Mother
|
|-
|2005
|''[[A Murder is Announced]]''
|Belle Goedler
|
|-
|2010
|''Love/Loss''
|Mary
|
|-
|2012
|''Leona Calderon''
|Elderly British Lady
|<ref>[http://www.leonacalderon.com ''Leona Calderon'']</ref>
|-
|rowspan=2|2016
|[[Golden Years (2016 film)|''Golden Years'']]
|Martha Goode
|
|-
|''[[Ethel & Ernest (film)|Ethel & Ernest]]''<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://ethelandernestmovie.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/voice-cast-announced/ |title = Voice Cast Announced|date = 3 August 2015}}</ref>
| Lady of the House
| (voice)
|-
|2019
|''Widow's Walk''
|Myrtle
|
|-
|}

==Non-fiction films==
*''The Lions are Free'' is the real life continuation of ''[[Born Free]]''. This film tells about what happened to the lions that were in the film ''Born Free''. [[Bill Travers]], who had starred with McKenna, wrote, produced and directed the film, along with James Hill, the director of ''Born Free''. Travers and Hill went to a remote area in [[Kenya]] to visit with the noted conservationist [[George Adamson]]. The film has scenes of George and Bill interacting with lions who are living free.
*''Christian: The Lion at World's End'' is a documentary (with a re-enaction sequence at the beginning) about the now-famous lion's journey from a London store to George Adamson's reserve in Kenya. Virginia McKenna and her husband, [[Bill Travers]], had a chance meeting with Christian and his owners Ace Bourke and John Rendall. Through McKenna and Travers' connection with George Adamson, the lion was successfully brought to Africa and taught how to fend for himself.

==Bibliography==
*''On Playing With Lions'', (with Bill Travers) Collins, (1966) {{ISBN|0-00-241607-7}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fatheroflions.org/Bibliography.html|title=Bibliography - BooksFilmsMovies.|website=www.fatheroflions.org|access-date=2019-06-26}}</ref>
*''Some of My Friends Have Tails'', Collins (1971) {{ISBN|0-00-262752-3}}
*''Into the Blue'', Aquarian Press, (1992) {{ISBN|1-85538-254-7}}
*''Journey to Freedom'', (with help from [[Will Travers]]; illustrated by Nick Mountain) Templar (1997) {{ISBN|1-898784-73-6}}.

==Discography==
*''Two Faces of Love'' LP, Gold Star 15-030, 1975. Reissued as Rim RIM 5001, 1979.
*''The Love That I Have (Violette)/Homage to Renoir'' 45 rpm single, Sovereign SOV 125, 1974.
*''The Love That I Have/Send in the Clowns'' 45 rpm single, RIM 002, 1979.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name |0571441}}
*[http://www.bornfree.org.uk/ Born Free Foundation]
*[http://www.fatheroflions.org/GeorgeAdamson_Photos_VM.html Photos from Virginia Mckenna and the Lions from the film Born Free.]
*[http://www.eileanban.org/ Eilean Bàn] home to the [[Gavin Maxwell]] museum, author of ''Ring of Bright Water''
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20040926.shtml 2004 Virginia McKenna Brief profile]
*[http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/ The Cinnamon Trust]
*[https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/virginia-mckenna] British Entertainment History Project interview

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Virginia McKenna
|list =
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actress 1952-1959}}
{{British Academy Television Award for Best Actress 1955–1959}}
{{OlivierAward MusicalActress 1979–2000}}
}}
{{British Triple Crown of Acting winners}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Virginia}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Best British Actress BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners]]
[[Category:English film actresses]]
[[Category:English stage actresses]]
[[Category:English television actresses]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Laurence Olivier Award winners]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]]
[[Category:Actresses from London]]
[[Category:People from Marylebone]]
[[Category:20th-century English actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century English actresses]]

Virginia McKenna - Revision history

Kurt at 01:32, 8 February 2023

Kurt: /* External links */

Kurt: /* External links */

Kurt: /* External links */

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2A00:23C8:8E90:AE01:7856:A833:E579:9EDD at 12:18, 1 August 2022