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Patricia Laffan was a statuesque and striking actress with subtly reptilian features, simultaneously sinister and captivating; her smile perpetually teetered on the edge of a sneer, and her commanding, imperious presence conveyed an air of innate superiority. Difficult to cast, she seemed destined for roles as villainesses or eccentrics. The daughter of Irish rubber planter Arthur Charles Laffan (1870–1948) and London-born Elvira Alice Vitali (1896–1979), Patricia was educated at the Institut français du Royaume-Uni in London and trained in dramatic arts at the prestigious Douglas-Webber School. She debuted on stage in 1937 and made her film debut by 1945. Amidst various nondescript or uncredited roles, she is best remembered for two unforgettable cinematic performances: first, as the sumptuously decadent, scheming, and malicious Empress Poppaea in MGM’s epic blockbuster Quo Vadis (1951). Her sardonic, disdainful delivery at times nearly overshadowed even Peter Ustinov in his iconic role as Nero. One of her extravagant costumes included a 14-carat gold dress designed by Herschel McCoy. A contemporary BBC interview with Laffan recounted an incident during filming: reclining on a divan beside a couple of cheetahs after a love scene with Robert Taylor, she was attacked by one of the not-so-tame cats but escaped with only a torn dress (possibly the gold one). Meanwhile, the lions in the arena scene were so bored they slept in the shade instead of eyeing the Christians hungrily.
Laffan’s other memorable screen appearance was in the campy Devil Girl from Mars (1954), a typically low-budget Danziger Brothers effort to capitalize on the success of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Justifiably criticized at the time for its inane writing, lackluster direction, and props resembling kitchen appliances, the film has since become a cult classic among sci-fi fans. This is largely due to its sole redeeming feature: Patricia Laffan as Nyah, the Martian invader, exotically made up and clad in a PVC jumpsuit, miniskirt, Darth Vader-style cape, and skullcap, delivering her lines with practiced coldness and languid authority.
Sadly underutilized, few notable roles followed Devil Girl, except perhaps a key part in the enjoyable psychological thriller 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956). Later television appearances mostly cast her as conventional aristocratic ladies in period or crime dramas. Patricia Laffan retired from acting in 1965, reportedly settling into a quiet life in Chelsea, London, where she may have pursued interests in fast cars, writing stories, and breeding bull terriers.
