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Mavis Villiers was born Mavis Clare Cooney on December 10, 1909, in Neutral Bay, a suburb of Sydney Harbour's 'north shore', where her father was a milk vendor. Her parents relocated to the mountain resort town of Katoomba when she was four. She began performing at the age of seven and quickly showed a prodigious talent. At age ten, she was being tutored to become a professional actress. In 1919, she was invited to perform solo at Sydney's Tivoli Theatre.
In 1921, at the age of twelve, her family emigrated to Hollywood, USA, to further her career. She began her career as a child film actress under the stewardship of Mary Pickford, who gave her a role in Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921). Her career in Hollywood lasted twelve years; much of her activity is uncredited, undocumented, or lost. She was playing female leads in comedies and cowboy movies. During her time in Hollywood, she also honed her skills in live theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Beverly Hills Playhouse. In 1933, she emigrated again to London, England, where she began a long career in British film, television, radio and live theatre.
She was known for her roles in 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), Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1974).
She married an American pilot officer whom she met in London during WWII. He died in a car accident nine months after they were married. She never remarried and had no children.
