Anna Massey as Mrs. Norris in
1983s Mansfield Park
Gentle Readers, sad news. Anna Massey, who gave us an unforgettable portrayal of Mrs. Norris in 1983s Mansfield Park, died of cancer a few days ago. Anna was a talented British actor whose roles were memorable no matter which film she acted in. R.I.P. talented lady.
The last time we saw Sally Hawkins she was tearing down Bath's Royal Crescent as Anne Elliot to claim Captain Wentworth (Rupert Penry Jones) as her man. Although we didn't like the ending, we generally liked this ITV JA adaptation. So, what has Sally been up to these days? As you can see from this trailer of Happy Go Lucky, she's quite adorable in this quirky comedy about a teacher named Poppy, for which she won the Silver Bear award for Best Actress in the Berlin Film Festival this year.
Can you spot another Jane Austen adaptation alumni in this trailer? Yes, it's Sylvestra Le Touzel, Fanny Price in 1986's Mansfield Park and Mrs. Allen in ITV's 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey.
Here's Sally in a July interview, speaking about the film, and looking fabulous in her loose, modern hairdo (in contrast to her bad hair days in Persuasion):
Have you noticed? Keen observers of Mansfield Park 1983 will have recognized Sylvestra Le Touzel. She played Fanny Price all those years ago, and appeared as Mrs. Allen in the 2007 version of Northanger Abbey.
And Nicholas Farrell, who played staid and moral Edmund Bertrum in 1983, appeared as the gregarious Mr. Musgrove in last week's Persuasion.
