Tributes paid to ‘wonderful’ Susannah York
Tributes have been paid to the actress Susannah York, who has died of cancer. They were led by her son Orlando Wells who said she was a “truly wonderful mother.”
York died at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London yesterday, 72, after suffering bone marrow cancer.
Her son, Wells, said she was admitted to the hospital on Jan 6 shortly before her birthday after experiencing pain in her shoulder.
He said that he and his sister Sasha, were in terrible shock but that his mother was “an incredibly brave woman, because she didn’t complain at all”.
“From Sasha and my point of view, she was absolutely the centre of our lives.
“She was a truly, truly wonderful mother.”
York, a star of the stage and screen, was best known for her role in 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, for which she won a Bafta and was nominated for the best supporting actress Oscar.
She was absolutely the centre of our lives. – Orlando Wells, son
She enjoyed an ‘eclectic’ career that saw her win acclaim for roles in films including A Man For All Seasons, Battle of Britain and Tom Jones.
In more recent years she was seen on television screens in BBC dramas Holby City and Casualty, as well as continuing her work on the stage.
Susannah York photo gallery: a life in pictures
Click on the image to see a photo gallery of Susannah York
York’s stunning blue eyes and blonde hair ensured that she was one of the best known faces of the swinging sixties.
In 1966’s A Man For All Seasons, she played Thomas More’s daughter and yelled at Kenneth More as a uniformed section officer in 1969’s Battle Of Britain.
She also appeared in Robert Aldrich’s film adaptation of Frank Marcus’s hit play The Killing of Sister George.
But many critics cited her performance as Childie, the young lesbian, as her most memorable showing.
In 1972 York won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her portrayal of Cathryn in the picture Images.