Irene Worth
American stage and screen actress, three-time Tony Award winner.
Irene Worth, born Harriett Elizabeth Abrams on June 23, 1916, in Fairbury, Nebraska, was an American actress who became a major figure in both British and American theatre. Her parents, Heinrich and Agnes Abrams, were Mennonite teachers; the family moved to Southern California in 1920. After attending Newport Harbor High School, Santa Ana Junior College, and UCLA, she taught school before pursuing acting. She changed her name to Irene Worth and by 1944 had settled in London, where she spent much of her career.
Worth made her Broadway debut in 1943 in *The Two Mrs. Carrolls*. She joined the Old Vic company in 1951, working with Tyrone Guthrie and playing Desdemona, Helena, Portia, and her first Lady Macbeth. The company toured South Africa with Worth as a leading lady. In 1953, she was the principal leading lady in the inaugural season of the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, performing under a tent with Alec Guinness in *All's Well That Ends Well* and *Richard III*. There she also earned acclaim as Hedda Gabler, a role she considered a satisfying achievement and which prompted a glowing review from Walter Kerr in *The New York Times*.
Returning to London, she appeared in N.C. Hunter's *A Day by the Sea* with John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson. She joined the Midland Theatre Company in Coventry for Ugo Betti's *The Queen and the Rebels*, where her performance ensured a transfer to London. Kenneth Tynan described her technique as "grandiose, heartfelt, marvellously controlled, clear as crystal and totally unmoving." In the 1950s she also performed in the farce *Hotel Paradiso* with Guinness and in Ivor Brown's *William's Other Anne*, playing Shakespeare's first girlfriend opposite John Gregson. Her film work included a powerful BAFTA-winning performance as a French Resistance agent in Anthony Asquith's 1958 wartime drama *Orders to Kill*.
Worth joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych Theatre in 1962. There she played Goneril to Paul Scofield's Lear in Peter Brook's acclaimed *King Lear*, later recreating the role in the film version. She repeated her Lady Macbeth and appeared for Brook in Friedrich Dürrenmatt's *The Physicists*, playing an asylum superintendent. She worked with Brook in Paris on *Orghast*, staged at the Shiraz Arts Festival in 1971. In 1968 she joined the National Theatre at the Old Vic to play Jocasta in Brook's produc
- born
- June 23, 1916
- died
- March 10, 2002
- field
- Stage and screen actress
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Three-time Tony Award winner; BAFTA Award for Best British Actress for Orders to Kill (1958)
Lore & Background
Harriett Elizabeth Abrams was born in Fairbury, Nebraska, the eldest of three children to Mennonite parents who were both teachers. The family moved to Southern California in 1920. She was educated at Newport Harbor High School, Santa Ana Junior College, and UCLA, and after graduation became a teacher while pursuing acting. She changed her name to Irene Worth and by 1944 had settled in London, where she remained for much of her career.
Worth made her Broadway debut in 1943 in 'The Two Mrs. Carrolls.' She joined the Old Vic company in 1951, working with Tyrone Guthrie and playing Desdemona, Helena, Portia, and her first Lady Macbeth. In 1953 she joined the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario for its inaugural season, performing with Alec Guinness. She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962, where she played Goneril to Paul Scofield's Lear in Peter Brook's acclaimed King Lear. She won the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress for the 1958 film Orders to Kill. Her other film appearances included Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and Deathtrap (1982).
A three-time Tony Award winner, Worth won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Tiny Alice in 1965 and Sweet Bird of Youth in 1976, and won the 1991 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Lost in Yonkers, a role she reprised in the 1993 film version. One of her later stage performances was opposite Paul Scofield in the 2001 production of I Take Your Hand in Mine at the Almeida Theatre in London. Worth died following a stroke in 2002 in New York's Roosevelt Hospital at the age of 85.
Reader's Guide
Irene Worth's significance lies in her sustained excellence across both British and American theatre, earning three Tony Awards over three decades. Her versatility was demonstrated in classical roles with the Old Vic and Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as in modern works by Edward Albee and Neil Simon. She also achieved recognition in film, winning a BAFTA for Orders to Kill. Worth's later years included acclaimed recitals and a monologue on Edith Wharton, showcasing her skill in solo performance. Her legacy is that of a disciplined, adaptable actress who moved seamlessly between continents and genres, leaving a body of work that includes major Shakespearean roles, award-winning Broadway performances, and notable screen appearances.
Did You Know?
- Won the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress for the 1958 film Orders to Kill.
- Won three Tony Awards: for Tiny Alice (1965), Sweet Bird of Youth (1976), and Lost in Yonkers (1991).
- Joined the Old Vic company in 1951 and the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962.
- One of her later stage performances was opposite Paul Scofield in I Take Your Hand in Mine at the Almeida Theatre in 2001.
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