Dame Eileen June Atkins, DBE (born 16 June 1934) is an English actress and occasional screenwriter.
Atkins was born in a Salvation Army women's hostel in East London (The Mothers' Hospital in Clapton), the cockney daughter of Annie Ellen (née Elkins), a barmaid who was 46 when Eileen was born, and Arthur Thomas Atkins, a gas-meter reader who was previously under-chauffeur to the Portuguese Ambassador. She attended the Latymer Grammar School, Edmo...
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Dame Eileen June Atkins, DBE (born 16 June 1934) is an English actress and occasional screenwriter.
Atkins was born in a Salvation Army women's hostel in East London (The Mothers' Hospital in Clapton), the cockney daughter of Annie Ellen (née Elkins), a barmaid who was 46 when Eileen was born, and Arthur Thomas Atkins, a gas-meter reader who was previously under-chauffeur to the Portuguese Ambassador. She attended the Latymer Grammar School, Edmonton and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Her mother was told by a gypsy that Eileen would be a great dancer, so she was sent to dancing classes from an early age, and appeared dancing in working man's clubs as "Baby Eileen" throughout the war years.
Her first stage appearance was at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in 1953. She also appeared on-stage with Laurence Olivier, John Thaw and James Bolam in Semi-Detached (1962).
Among her accomplishments are the creation of two television series - along with Jean Marsh she created the...
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