The Timeless Beauty of Hayley Mills Celebrates Her 78th Birthday with Gyles Brandreth
FILM fans were in awe today as an age-defying legendary actress celebrated her 78th birthday.
Oscar-winner Hayley Mills was joined by former MP and This Morning favorite Gyles Brandreth, 76, on her special day.
Hollywood Royalty: Hayley Mills and Gyles Brandreth’s Birthday Bash
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Credit: X
Happy Birthday, Hayley Mills: A Timeless Beauty
The radiant pair beamed for a smiley photo that was shared to X, formerly Twitter.
Gyles wrote: “Happy birthday to my brilliant and beautiful friend: Oscar-winning actress Hayley Mills. (Btw, her autobiography is gripping – highly recommended).”
Fans rushed to send Hayley their well-wishes, with one writing: “WOW! Hayley’s looking fantastic! A very very Happy Birthday to you!”
A Life in Film: Hayley Mills’ Timeless Legacy
Hayley’s screen career spans 65 years. She became a global star in her early teens thanks to her Oscar-winning turn in Pollyanna, for which she also won a Golden Globe and was nominated for a Bafta.
Disney flick Pollyanna tells the story of an orphan who is sent to live with her wealthy aunt in a rural town and learns plenty of life lessons along the way. She also suffers a life-changing injury that threatens her jovial spirit.
The following year, in 1962, Hayley was nominated for major honors again at the Baftas and Golden Globes, respectively, for her roles in Whistle Down the Wind and The Parent Trap.
A third Golden Globe nod followed in 1964 for her performance in Summer Magic.
Hayley’s Remarkable Career: From Disney to Dramas
She’s had countless TV, film, and theater roles since including a number of popular dramas in recent years such as ITV‘s Unforgotten, Wild At Heart, and most recently a cameo in Death in Paradise.
An Unstoppable Spirit: Hayley Mills’ Battle with Breast Cancer
Hayley overcame breast cancer 12 years ago, after a four-year battle with the disease.
She underwent surgery in 2008 and began chemotherapy but stopped after three sessions due to the side effects.
She previously said: “It made me feel awful. I was more frightened of the chemo than the cancer.
“I could feel it draining and killing me. I felt I was dying.”
Hayley Mills’ most iconic roles
Hayley Mills was began acting in 1947 when she began acting has gone on to have an impressive career.
- Hayley won the BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in the British crime drama film Tiger Bay (1959), which was her second-ever acting role.
- She also won the Academy Juvenile Award for Disney’s Pollyanna in 1960.
- Hayley played twins Susan and Sharon in the 1961 Disney film The Parent Trap.
- She reprised her roles in The Parent Trap sequels.
- Hayley was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress for her turn in Whistle Down the Wind (1961).
- From 1969 onward Hayley took her talents to theater, playing iconic characters such as Anna in The King and I and Gertrude in Hamlet.
- From 2007 to 2012, she played Caroline Du Plessis in the ITV drama Wild at Heart.