Felicity Kendal is a British actress best known for her "cute" roles, but she is a formidable actress in a wide variety of parts. She was born in England and raised in India, where her parents toured the nation with a traveling classical theatre troupe. She returned to England after appearing in the film Shakespeare-Wallah (1965) and struggled for a number of years before getting her big break in the TV series The Good Life (1975). She has since appeared in several other TV programs and has created roles in a number of plays by Tom Stoppard. She has also continued her lifelong work in Shakespeare, playing Desdemona to Paul Scofield's Othello and a memorable Viola in a BBC production of Twelfth Night (1980). She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1995 and published her memoirs, "White Cargo," in 1999.
Felicity Kendal is a member of Actress
Drewe Henley (m. 1968–79, div.)
Michael Rudman (m. 1983–90, div.)
Partner(s)
Tom Stoppard (1991–98)
Michael Rudman (1998–present)
Children
2
Parent(s)
Geoffrey Kendal
Laura Liddell
Relatives
Jennifer Kendal (sister)
💰 Net worth: $1.4 Million (2024)
Felicity Kendal, a renowned actress and talented vocalist hailing from the United Kingdom, is expected to have a net worth of $1.4 million in the year 2024. She has consistently captivated audiences throughout her illustrious career, showcasing her exceptional acting skills and lending her voice to various impressive soundtracks. With a plethora of notable performances under her belt, Felicity Kendal has undoubtedly cemented her status as an influential figure within the entertainment industry, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of fans worldwide.
Some Felicity Kendal images
Biography/Timeline
1946
Felicity Kendal was born in Olton, Warwickshire, England, in 1946. She is the younger daughter of Geoffrey Kendal, an actor and manager, and his wife Laura Liddell. Her sister, Jennifer Kendal (died 1984, aged 51), also became an Actress.
1967
She made her London stage debut in Minor Murder (1967), and went on to star in a number of well regarded plays.
1968
Kendal's first marriage to Drewe Henley (1968–79) and her second to Michael Rudman (1983–90) ended in divorce. Kendal has two sons: Charley, from her marriage to Henley, and Jacob, from her marriage to Rudman. In 1991 she left Rudman, and subsequently started a relationship with PlaywrightTom Stoppard. The affair with Stoppard ended in 1998, and Kendal has since reunited with Michael Rudman.
1975
In 1975 Kendal had her big break on television with the BBC sitcom The Good Life. She and Richard Briers starred as Barbara and Tom Good – a middle-class suburban couple who decide to quit the rat race and become self-sufficient, much to the consternation of their snooty but well-meaning neighbour Margo and her down-to-earth husband Jerry Leadbetter (played by Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington). Kendal appeared in all 30 episodes which extended over four series from 1975 to 1978.
1976
From 1976, Kendal has appeared as herself in about 40 television shows and documentaries, the most recent being:
1980
Kendal's stage career blossomed during the 1980s and 1990s when she formed a close professional association with Sir Tom Stoppard, starring in the first productions of many of his plays, including The Real Thing (1982), Hapgood (1988), Arcadia (1993), and Indian Ink (1995). This last was originally a radio play and the role was written for her.
1989
She won the Evening Standard Theatre Award in 1989 for her performances in Much Ado About Nothing and Ivanov.
1995
In 1995 (at age 49) Kendal was selected as one of the "100 sexiest women in the world" by FHM magazine.
1998
In 1998 Kendal published a book of memoirs titled White Cargo.
2002
In 2002, Kendal starred in Charlotte Jones's play, Humble Boy, when it transferred from the National Theatre to the West End. In 2006 she starred in the West End revival of Amy's View by David Hare.
2008
In 2008 she appeared in the West End in a revival of Noël Coward's play The Vortex.
2009
In 2009 she appeared in the play The Last Cigarette (by Simon Gray) and in 2010 in Mrs. Warren's Profession (by Shaw). Both played at the Chichester Festival Theatre and subsequently in the West End.
2010
When asked (by The Guardian in 2010) whom she would invite to her "dream dinner party", Kendal replied "Emmeline Pankhurst, Gandhi, Byron, Eddie Izzard, George Bernard Shaw, Golda Meir, and Marlene Dietrich".
2013
In 2013 she starred in the first London revival of Relatively Speaking by Alan Ayckbourn at the Wyndham's Theatre. In 2014, she toured the UK and Australia as Judith Bliss in Noël Coward's Hay Fever, which then played in the West End.
2017
In 2017 she starred with Maureen Lipman in a revival of Lettice and Lovage at the Menier Chocolate Factory.