Catherine Schell
Catherine Schell | |
---|---|
Born | Katherina Freiin Schell von Bauschlott 17 July 1944 |
Nationality | British |
Other names | Catherine von Schell Katherina von Schell Katherine von Schell |
Citizenship | British |
Alma mater | Otto Falckenberg School of the Performing Arts |
Occupation(s) | Television and film actress |
Years active | 1964–2004; 2020-Present |
Known for | On Her Majesty's Secret Service The Return of the Pink Panther Doctor Who |
Television | Space: 1999 |
Spouses | |
Parent(s) | Baron Paul Schell von Bauschlott Countess Katharina Maria Etelka Georgina Elisabeth Teleki de Szék |
Catherine Schell (born Katherina Freiin Schell von Bauschlott, 17 July 1944) is a Hungarian-born British actress who came to prominence in British film and television productions from the 1960s. Her notable roles include the Bond girl Nancy in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Lady Claudine Litton in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Countess Scarlioni in the Doctor Who serial City of Death (1979), and a regular role as Maya in Series Two of the television series Space: 1999 (1975).
Early life
Schell's father, Baron Paul Schell von Bauschlott, was a
Fleeing Hungary in advance of the Soviets and communism, the family lived in poverty until 1948, finding asylum in Austria: first in Vienna, then in Salzburg. In 1950, the family emigrated to the United States,[2] where Schell's father acquired American citizenship.
Schell entered a
Career
Film
She acted under the alternate names "Catherine von Schell", "Catherina von Schell", and "Katherina von Schell" early in her career. Under the last name, she made her film debut as the title character in the little-known German-language film
Schell appeared opposite Peter Sellers in the comedy The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) as Lady Claudine Lytton. Schell appeared with Sellers again in The Prisoner of Zenda (1979), one of his last films.
Television
Schell's first TV credit was
Schell spent much of her career in British television, appearing in more than 47 series spanning a period of nearly 30 years. She played regular roles in series such as
Schell appeared in the science-fiction series
Personal life
Family
Schell's brother, Paul Rudolf (born 1940), now known as Paul von Schell, has acted in German-language productions. A younger brother, Peter (1941–68), died young. Through a German great-grandfather, Schell is related to
Marriages
While filming Amsterdam Affair in 1968, Schell met and married her first husband, British actor William Marlowe (1930–2003), and moved to London. The marriage ended in divorce in 1977. Schell married director Bill Hays (1938–2006) in 1982. In 1984, they worked together for the first time as husband and wife on a TV production of Ivan Turgenev's play A Month in the Country.
Retirement
Schell's career continued into the mid-1990s, after which she retired from acting and opened Chambre d'Hôtes Valentin, a small
Schell made her first convention appearance at MainMission:2000, a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Space: 1999 held in New York City. To date, she has appeared at only one other convention, mainly due to her second husband's declining health.
Schell contributed a foreword to the Space: 1999 novel Born for Adversity, written by
Schell's autobiography A Constant Alien was published in 2016.[2][4]
She subsequently came out of acting retirement to portray the Grand Duchess Valeria in the BBC One/Netflix series Dracula, which aired in 2020.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1964 | Lana, Queen of the Amazons | Queen Lana | |
1964 | Traitor's Gate | Hope Joyner | |
1967 | Hell Is Empty | Catherine Grant | |
1968 | Assignment K | Maggi | Uncredited |
1968 | Amsterdam Affair | Sophie Ray | |
1969 | Moon Zero Two | Clementine Taplin | |
1969 | On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Nancy | |
1972 | Madame Sin | Barbara | |
1974 | The Black Windmill | Lady Melissa Julyan | |
1974 | Callan | Jenny | |
1975 | The Return of the Pink Panther | Lady Claudine Litton | |
1977 | Gulliver's Travels | Mary | |
1978 | Exposure | Caroline | |
1978 | Destination Moonbase-Alpha | Maya | |
1979 | The Prisoner of Zenda | Antoinette | |
1982 | The Island of Adventure | Alison Mannering | |
1982 | Cosmic Princess | Maya | |
1983 | On the Third Day | Clarissa Hammond | |
1988 | On the Black Hill | Lotte Zons | |
1990 | The March | Noelle Epps | |
1993 | Pretty Princess | Countess Von Dix | |
2022 | The Munsters | Zoya Krupp | [5] |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1967 | Till Eulenspiegel | Nele | Unknown episodes |
1970 | Omnibus | Lunia | Episode: "A Requiem for Modigliani" |
1971 | Paul Temple | Uschi Baumann | Episode: "Death of Fasching" |
1971 | The Troubleshooters | Kirsten Hansen | 2 episodes |
1971 | The Search for the Nile | Florence Baker | 2 episodes |
1971 | The Persuaders! | Kristin Hansen | Episode: "The Morning After" |
1972 | A Family at War | Erika | Episode: "Two Fathers" |
1972–1973 | The Adventurer | Diane Marsh | 11 episodes |
1973 | The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes | Maria Wolkinski | Episode: "The Sensible Action of Lieutenant Holst" |
1973 | Arthur of the Britons | Benedicta | Episode: "The Girl from Rome" |
1974 | Napoleon and Love | Marie Walewska | 4 episodes |
1974 | Dial M for Murder | Helen | Episode: "Contract" |
1974 | The Double Dealers | The Double Dealers | Episode: "An Ad in The Times" |
1975 | The Sweeney | Stella Goodman | Episode: "Big Spender" |
1975 | Thriller | Julie | Episode: "The Next Voice You See" |
1975 | Looking for Clancy | Penny Clancy | 4 episodes |
1975 | Space: 1999 | Servant of the Guardian | Episode: " Guardian of Piri "
|
1976 | Play of the Month | Mabel Dancy | Episode: "Loyalties" |
1976–1977 | Space: 1999 | Maya |
23 episodes |
1977 | Supernatural | Theresa | Episode: "Viktoria" |
1978 | The Onedin Line | Hannah Webster | Episode: "The Reverend's Daughter" |
1978 | Return of the Saint | Samantha | Episode: "The Imprudent Professor" |
1979 | Doctor Who | Countess Scarlioni | Episode: "City of Death" |
1980 | The Gentle Touch | Margot | Episode: "Melody" |
1980–1981 | The Spoils of War | Paula Brandt | 11 episodes |
1980 | Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson | Lady Sylvia Tarleton | Episode: "The Case of the Deadly Tower" |
1982 | Strangers | Sophy Paget-Lombardi | Episode: "A Swift and Evil Rozzer" |
1983 | Bergerac | Veronique | Episode: "Prime Target" |
1983 | Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime | Virma La Strange | Episode: "The Ambassador's Boots" |
1985 | One by One | Lady Ann Pendle | 6 episodes |
1985–1986 | Mog | Mrs. Mortenson | All 13 episodes |
1985 | A Month in the Country | Lizaveta | TV film |
1985 | My Brother Jonathan | Mrs. Martyn | Episode: #1.1 |
1988 | Screen Two | Melena Lotskova | Episode: "Border" |
1989 | The Bill | Mrs. Stern | Episode: Silver Lining" |
1989 | Howards' Way | Yvette Studer | Episode: #5.10 |
1990 | Wish Me Luck | Virginia Mitchell | 8 episodes |
1991 | Lovejoy | Francis Beauchamp | Episode: "Raise the Hispanic" |
1992 | Moon and Son | Mrs. Milestone | Episode: "Nearly Dearly Departed" |
1993 | Screen Two | Marie-Claire | Episode: "The Clothes in the Wardrobe" |
1994 | The Wimbledon Poisoner | Mrs. Gunther | Both 2 episodes |
1995 | Tales of Mystery and Imagination |
Lady Montresor | Episode: "The Cask of Amontillado" |
1996 | The Knock | Inspector Helene Masson | 2 episodes |
2020 | Dracula | Grand Duchess Valeria | Episode: "Blood Vessel" |
References
- ^ "Peter Schell von Bauschlott's Family Tree". geni.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Catherine Schell | SPACE: 1999". starburstmagazine.com. Starburst magazine. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ISBN 978-0345252654.
- ISBN 978-1781961612. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "The Munsters Image: Rob Zombie Reveals First Look at Catherine Schell's Character". Screen Rant. 14 January 2022.
External links
- Catherine Schell at IMDb
- Catherine Schell at AllMovie
- Catherine Schell at Rotten Tomatoes