Helen Horton
Born: 1923-09-28 in Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died: 2007-09-28
Known For: Acting
Biography
Helen Virginia Horton (November 21, 1923 – September 28, 2007) was an American actress. She was born in Chicago and had a brief career in New York. She married Hamish Thomson and lived near London. She worked extensively in British television, radio and theatre, and had three children; her granddaughter is the English actress Lily James. Horton voiced the ship's computer, "Mother", in the 1979 film Alien. Horton attended Northwestern University where she became lifelong friends with Patricia Neal (Helen Benson in The Day the Earth Stood Still). She was well thought of in the drama department and was cast as Viola, the lead role in Twelfth Night, with Neal cast as Olivia, in a university production of the Shakespeare play. In September 1945, Horton and Neal took a shared apartment in New York and looked for work. They both got parts in a production of Seven Mirrors at the Blackfriars Theatre. Horton took over from Vivien Leigh as Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire after the play's London run was completed and it began to tour the United Kingdom. When Neal mentioned the connection to Leigh, she remarked "No one takes over for me, dear. When I leave a play, it's over."
Filmography
1990
- Forgotten Prisoners: The Amnesty Files as ALA Group Leader
1989
- Agatha Christie's Poirot as Julia Olivera
1988
- The Woman He Loved as Martha
1987
- The Two Mrs. Grenvilles as Nurse at Playhouse
1985
- Reunion at Fairborough as Mrs Bigard
1984
- The Razor's Edge as Red Cross Lady
1983
- Superman III as Miss Henderson
1980
- The Best of Friends as Mrs Lovsky
1979
- Alien as Mother (voice)
- Minder as Judge's Wife
- Tales of the Unexpected as American Passenger
1977
- Widows' Nest as Ana
- Auntie Kathleen's Old Clothes as Nancy
1975
- Two's Company as Clare
1974
- Phase IV as Mildred Eldridge
1972
- Van der Valk as Mrs Lovell Wallace
- Endless Night as Aunt Beth
1970
- The Pueblo Affair as Mrs. Bucher
1969
- The Benny Hill Show
- The Chairman as Susan Wright
1965
- BBC Play of the Month as Grace Torrence
1961
- Hurricane as Mrs. Van Diemen
1960
- Never Take Sweets from a Stranger as Sylvia Kingsley
1957
- Let's Be Happy as Sadie Whitelaw
- The Mark of the Hawk as Barbara Craig
- Thunder on Sycamore Street as Clarice Morrison
1953
- Strange Stories as Marie ('Strange Journey')