Biographie
Mavis Villiers, born Mavis Clare Cooney on December 10, 1909, in Neutral Bay, a suburb on Sydney Harbour's north shore, was the daughter of a milk vendor. When she was four, her family moved to the mountain resort town of Katoomba. She began performing at seven and displayed remarkable talent early on. By age ten, she was receiving training to become a professional actress. In 1919, she performed solo at Sydney's Tivoli Theatre.
At twelve, in 1921, her family emigrated to Hollywood to advance her career. She started as a child film actress under Mary Pickford’s guidance, landing a role in Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921). Her Hollywood career spanned twelve years, with many roles uncredited, undocumented, or lost. She played female leads in comedies and westerns and developed her stage skills at the Pasadena Playhouse and Beverly Hills Playhouse. In 1933, she moved to London, where she enjoyed a lengthy career in British film, television, radio, and theatre.
Her notable roles included The Bum's Rush (1927), A Lady's Morals (1930), Saloon Bar (1940), One Exciting Night (1944), Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), Victim (1961), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), and Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1974).
She married an American pilot officer she met in London during WWII. He died in a car accident nine months after their wedding. She never remarried and had no children.
