Lynne Frederick
Encyclopedia
Lynne Maria Frederick (25 July 1954 – 27 April 1994) was an English film actress. In a career spanning ten years she made about thirty films or television drama appearances, but she is best remembered as the last wife of Peter Sellers
. She was married twice after his death.
, Middlesex
, England
, the daughter of Andrew and Iris Frederick. Iris became a casting director for Thames Television
. Lynne's parents split up when she was 2, and she was brought up by her mother and her grandmother, Cecilia, at Market Harborough
in Leicestershire
.
(1970) when she was just 16 years old. She then appeared a year later in the 1971 biographical film Nicholas and Alexandra
, in which she played Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
, second eldest daughter of Tsar
Nicholas II
. However her best-known appearance came shortly afterwards when she played another historical character, Catherine Howard
in Henry VIII and His Six Wives
in 1972. Frederick would go on to pursue a successful career in films throughout the 70s. Her next role was in the 1972 children's film The Amazing Mr. Blunden and in 1973 she won an award for the "Most Promising Newcomer – Actress of 1973".
Other notable films included Saul Bass
' science fiction thriller Phase IV
(1974), the Spanish romance A Long Return
(1975), and Schizo (1976). Her last role came in the 1979 film The Prisoner of Zenda
, in which she worked with her first husband Peter Sellers
. Later, in 1985, she was offered the role of Kumiko in The Karate Kid, Part II
, but she turned the offer down, preferring instead to concentrate on motherhood as she had given birth to a daughter the previous year.
During her marriage to Sellers and subsequently, she was accused of being a "gold digger" and a "professional wife", however she reportedly suffered from severe depression because of Sellers' death and attempted suicide numerous times. In her later years she reportedly became obsessed by his memory and kept a shrine to him at the Swiss chalet in Gstaad
which she inherited from him. She won nearly $1.5 million in a lawsuit against the makers of the Trail of the Pink Panther
(1982), made after Sellers' death, claiming the film tarnished her late husband's memory.
She briefly married David Frost
(on 25 January 1981); they divorced 17 months later. She later married a Californian surgeon and heart specialist, Dr. Barry Unger, in December 1982; they were divorced in 1991. By him she had one child, Cassie Unger (b. 1984).
, Peter Sellers' daughter by his previous marriage to Britt Ekland
, last saw Lynne three weeks before her death and subsequently stated, "I was so shocked. Lynne was sitting in her kitchen, dressed in a filthy kaftan. She could hardly move. She was swigging vodka directly from a jug with a handle on the side". There was no evidence of foul play, and although suicide was suspected by some, there was no actual evidence for this and an autopsy failed to determine the cause of death. She was survived by her mother, Iris, and her daughter, Cassie.
Her remains were cremated at Golders Green Crematorium in London and her ashes were mingled and then interred with those of Peter Sellers
. Her estate passed into a trust fund, the Lynne Unger Childrens' Trust, which was administered by accountants in Santa Monica, California
; her daughter Cassie Unger was the beneficiary.
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
. She was married twice after his death.
Early life
Frederick was born in HillingdonHillingdon
Hillingdon is a suburban area within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated 14.2 miles west of Charing Cross.Much of Hillingdon is represented as the Hillingdon East ward within the local authority, Hillingdon Council...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the daughter of Andrew and Iris Frederick. Iris became a casting director for Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
. Lynne's parents split up when she was 2, and she was brought up by her mother and her grandmother, Cecilia, at Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
Career
Having originally aspired to becoming a teacher of mathematics and physics, she abandoned her academic pursuits for the stage, and made her film debut as Mary Custance in No Blade of GrassNo Blade of Grass (film)
No Blade of Grass is a 1970 British-American apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Cornel Wilde and starring Nigel Davenport, Jean Wallace and John Hamill. It is an adaptation of the novel The Death of Grass by John Christopher...
(1970) when she was just 16 years old. She then appeared a year later in the 1971 biographical film Nicholas and Alexandra
Nicholas and Alexandra
Nicholas and Alexandra is a 1971 biographical film which tells the story of the last Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra....
, in which she played Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia , , was the second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last monarch of Russia, and of Tsarina Alexandra...
, second eldest daughter of Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Nicholas II
Nicholas Romanov
Nicholas Romanovich Romanov, Prince of Russia also known as Prince Nicholas Romanov is a claimant to the headship of the House of Romanov and President of the Romanov Family Association...
. However her best-known appearance came shortly afterwards when she played another historical character, Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard , also spelled Katherine, Katheryn or Kathryn, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
in Henry VIII and His Six Wives
Henry VIII and His Six Wives
Henry VIII and His Six Wives is a 1972 film version of the famous BBC television series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, it was written by Ian Thorne and directed by Waris Hussein.-Description:...
in 1972. Frederick would go on to pursue a successful career in films throughout the 70s. Her next role was in the 1972 children's film The Amazing Mr. Blunden and in 1973 she won an award for the "Most Promising Newcomer – Actress of 1973".
Other notable films included Saul Bass
Saul Bass
Saul Bass was a Jewish-American graphic designer and filmmaker, best known for his design of motion picture title sequences....
' science fiction thriller Phase IV
Phase IV
Phase IV is an American science fiction film, made in 1974. It is the only feature-length film directed by the noted title designer Saul Bass. It starred Michael Murphy, Nigel Davenport and Lynne Frederick....
(1974), the Spanish romance A Long Return
A Long Return
A Long Return, also known by the title A Largo Retorno in Spain, is a 1975 spanish romantic film, directed by Pedro Lazaga.-Plot:An architect David Ortega finally finds his true love after a lifetime of searching. They marry, and soon afterward discover that his woman Anna has an incurable disease...
(1975), and Schizo (1976). Her last role came in the 1979 film The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda (1979 film)
The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Richard Quine and adapted from the adventure novel by Anthony Hope, first published in 1894...
, in which she worked with her first husband Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
. Later, in 1985, she was offered the role of Kumiko in The Karate Kid, Part II
The Karate Kid, Part II
The Karate Kid, Part II is a 1986 American martial arts film and is a sequel to 1984's The Karate Kid. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi, respectively. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti...
, but she turned the offer down, preferring instead to concentrate on motherhood as she had given birth to a daughter the previous year.
Personal life
She was married to Peter Sellers on 18 February 1977; they divorced in 1980. Although Sellers and Frederick had come to a financial agreement in their divorce and the actor was in the process of excluding her from his will a week before he died of a heart attack (on 24 July 1980), she inherited almost his entire estate worth an estimated £4.5 million ($7.3 million) on a technicality, as the divorce decree had not been finalised.During her marriage to Sellers and subsequently, she was accused of being a "gold digger" and a "professional wife", however she reportedly suffered from severe depression because of Sellers' death and attempted suicide numerous times. In her later years she reportedly became obsessed by his memory and kept a shrine to him at the Swiss chalet in Gstaad
Gstaad
Gstaad is a village in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Berne in southwestern Switzerland. Part of the municipality of Saanen, Gstaad is known as one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world....
which she inherited from him. She won nearly $1.5 million in a lawsuit against the makers of the Trail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther is a 1982 comedy film starring Peter Sellers. It was the seventh film in the Pink Panther series, and the last in which Peter Sellers starred as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, although Sellers died before production began and the film thus contains no original material...
(1982), made after Sellers' death, claiming the film tarnished her late husband's memory.
She briefly married David Frost
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
(on 25 January 1981); they divorced 17 months later. She later married a Californian surgeon and heart specialist, Dr. Barry Unger, in December 1982; they were divorced in 1991. By him she had one child, Cassie Unger (b. 1984).
Death
In her later years Lynne's health suffered and she died in 1994, aged 39. VictoriaVictoria Sellers
Victoria Sellers is an English model, actress, comedienne, and jewelry designer.-Early life:Sellers attended Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles in West Los Angeles, a private school run by French immigrants that now has a number of campuses...
, Peter Sellers' daughter by his previous marriage to Britt Ekland
Britt Ekland
Britt-Marie Ekland is a Swedish actress and singer, and a long time resident of the United Kingdom. She is best known for her roles as a Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun, and in the British cult horror film The Wicker Man, as well as her marriage to actor Peter Sellers, and her...
, last saw Lynne three weeks before her death and subsequently stated, "I was so shocked. Lynne was sitting in her kitchen, dressed in a filthy kaftan. She could hardly move. She was swigging vodka directly from a jug with a handle on the side". There was no evidence of foul play, and although suicide was suspected by some, there was no actual evidence for this and an autopsy failed to determine the cause of death. She was survived by her mother, Iris, and her daughter, Cassie.
Her remains were cremated at Golders Green Crematorium in London and her ashes were mingled and then interred with those of Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
. Her estate passed into a trust fund, the Lynne Unger Childrens' Trust, which was administered by accountants in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
; her daughter Cassie Unger was the beneficiary.
Filmography
- No Blade of GrassNo Blade of Grass (film)No Blade of Grass is a 1970 British-American apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Cornel Wilde and starring Nigel Davenport, Jean Wallace and John Hamill. It is an adaptation of the novel The Death of Grass by John Christopher...
(1970) as Mary Custance - Nicholas and AlexandraNicholas and AlexandraNicholas and Alexandra is a 1971 biographical film which tells the story of the last Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra....
(1971) as Tatiana - Henry VIII and His Six WivesHenry VIII and His Six WivesHenry VIII and His Six Wives is a 1972 film version of the famous BBC television series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, it was written by Ian Thorne and directed by Waris Hussein.-Description:...
(1972) as Catherine Howard - Vampire CircusVampire CircusVampire Circus is a 1972 British horror film directed by Robert Young for Hammer Film Productions. It stars Adrienne Corri, Thorley Walters and Anthony Higgins . The story concerns a travelling carnival whose vampiric artistes prey on the children of a 19th-century Austrian village...
(1972) as Dora Miller - The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972) as Lucy Allen
- Keep an Eye on Denise (1973) as Denise
- The Canterville Ghost (1974) as Virginia Otis
- Giubbe RosseGiubbe RosseCaffè Giubbe Rosse is a café in Piazza della Repubblica , Florence. The giubbe rosse of its name are the "Red Shirts" of Garibaldi's forces during the Risorgimento, a badge of honour for liberal Italians, reflected in the silent allusion of the waiters' red jackets.The café has a long-standing...
(1974) as Elizabeth - The Lady from the SeaThe Lady from the SeaThe Lady from the Sea is a play written in 1888 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.Kvinnan från havet is a ballet by choreographer Birgit Cullberg, and based on Ibsen's play...
(1974) as Hilde - Phase IVPhase IVPhase IV is an American science fiction film, made in 1974. It is the only feature-length film directed by the noted title designer Saul Bass. It starred Michael Murphy, Nigel Davenport and Lynne Frederick....
(1974) as Kendra Eldbridge - El vicio y la virtud (1975) as Rosa
- A Long ReturnA Long ReturnA Long Return, also known by the title A Largo Retorno in Spain, is a 1975 spanish romantic film, directed by Pedro Lazaga.-Plot:An architect David Ortega finally finds his true love after a lifetime of searching. They marry, and soon afterward discover that his woman Anna has an incurable disease...
(Largo retorno) (1975) as Anna Ortega - Four of the ApocalypseFour of the ApocalypseFour of the Apocalypse is a 1975 Spaghetti Western film directed by Lucio Fulci and starring Fabio Testi. It is based on two stories by western writer Bret Harte, "The Luck of Roaring Camp" and "The Outcasts of Poker Flat"....
(1975) as Emmanuella "Bunny" O'Neill - SchizoSchizo (1976 film)Schizo is a horror film directed by Pete Walker and starring Lynne Frederick.-Plot:Samantha and Alan are married, but William Haskin going revenge. What are the secrets of Samantha?-Cast:*Lynne Frederick ... Samantha Gray...
(1976) as Samantha Gray - Voyage of the DamnedVoyage of the DamnedVoyage of the Damned is the title of a 1974 book written by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts, which was the basis of a 1976 drama film with the same title.The story was inspired by true events concerning the fate of the MS St...
(1976) as Anna Rosen - Hazlitt in Love (1977) as Sarah Walker
- The Prisoner of ZendaThe Prisoner of Zenda (1979 film)The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Richard Quine and adapted from the adventure novel by Anthony Hope, first published in 1894...
(1979) as Princess Flavia
Television appearances
- Comedy PlayhouseComedy PlayhouseComedy Playhouse was a long-running British anthology series of one-off unrelated sitcoms that aired for 120 episodes from 1961 to 1975. Many episodes later graduated to their own series, including Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, All Gas and Gaiters, The Liver Birds, Are You Being Served?...
(1 episode, 1971) - Fathers and SonsFathers and SonsFathers and Sons is an 1862 novel by Ivan Turgenev, his best known work. The title of this work in Russian is Отцы и дети , which literally means "Fathers and Children"; the work is often translated to Fathers and Sons in English for reasons of euphony.- Historical context and notes :The fathers...
(1 episode, 1971) - Opportunity KnocksOpportunity KnocksOpportunity Knocks is a British television and radio talent show originally hosted by Hughie Green, with a late-1980s revival hosted by Bob Monkhouse, and later by previous winner Les Dawson....
(1 episode, 1972) - Softly Softly: Task Force (1 episode, 1972)
- No ExitNo ExitNo Exit is a 1944 existentialist French play by Jean-Paul Sartre. The original French title is Huis Clos, the French equivalent of the legal term in camera, referring to a private discussion behind closed doors; English translations have also been performed under the titles In Camera, No Way Out...
(1 episode, 1972) - Away from It All (1 episode, 1973)
- FollyfootFollyfootFollyfoot was a children's television series co-produced by the majority-partner British television company Yorkshire Television and the independent West German company TV Munich...
(2 episodes, 1973) - Wessex TalesWessex TalesWessex Tales is an 1888 collection of tales written by Thomas Hardy, many of which are set before Hardy's birth in 1840.Through them, Thomas Hardy talks about nineteenth century marriage, grammar, class status, how men and women were viewed, medical diseases and more.-Contents:In 1888, Wessex Tales...
(1 episode, 1973) - The Generation GameThe Generation GameThe Generation Game was a British gameshow produced by the BBC in which four teams of two competed to win prizes...
(1 episode, 1973) - Masquerade (1 episode, 1974)
- The PallisersThe PallisersThe Pallisers is a 1974 BBC television adaptation of Anthony Trollope's Palliser novels.-Cast :*Anthony Ainley: Rev. Emilius*Terence Alexander: Lord George*Anthony Andrews: Lord Silverbridge*Sarah Badel: Lizzie Eustace...
(3 episodes, 1974) - Play for TodayPlay for TodayPlay for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
(1 episode, 1976) - Space 1999 (1 episode, 1976)
External links
- "Tribute to Lynne Frederick" (Website in English, French and Spanish)
- Fan page
- Fan page
- Tribute to Lynne Frederick