Stephanie Beacham

About Stephanie Beacham

Overview

Born
February 28, 1947 · Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Height
5′ 7″ (1.70 m)

Biography
Stephanie Beacham is without a doubt one of Britain's most talented, beautiful and well-known actresses. Despite becoming world famous and an icon of the 1980s due to her role as Sable Colby in the American soap operas Dynasty (1981) and The Colbys (1985) and going on to have starring roles in shows such as Sister Kate (1989), SeaQuest 2032 (1993), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) and Bad Girls (1999), Stephanie Beacham had already carved a solid acting career back in her home country. Born in Hertfordshire in southern England, one of the four children of an insurance executive and a housewife, Beacham began an interest in acting at a young age and studied mime at the respected and renowned school of Étienne Decroux in Paris before completing her studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. Guest roles on British television followed in the late 1960s such as The Saint (1962) and UFO (1970), however Beacham's breakthrough was her starring role opposite Marlon Brando in the cult horror film The Nightcomers (1971) that brought her critical acclaim and widespread attention. She became a regular staple in British horror films for the remainder of the 1970s and early 1980s such as Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), The Confessional (1976), Schizo (1976) and Inseminoid (1981), however she was still a commonly seen face on television, such as being given her own soap opera in Marked Personal (1973) as well as regular modelling work. It was in the 1980s however that Beacham's career became supercharged. She had starring roles in the acclaimed television series Tenko (1981) and Connie (1985), the latter gaining particular interest in the US. Beacham moved to Hollywood in the mid-1980s and was given the role of Sable Colby in the ABC soap opera The Colbys (1985), and then joined it's parent show Dynasty (1981) where she remained until the show's cancellation. Both shows made Beacham a household name on both sides of the Atlantic as the glamour-puss wife of Charlton Heston's character Jason and cousin of Joan Collins' Alexis, with the two regularly involved in a 'battle of the bitches' scenario. Following the cancellation of Dynasty, Beacham headlined the sitcom Sister Kate (1989) for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, before going on to have main roles in Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) as Iris McKay, Steven Spielberg's SeaQuest 2032 (1993) as Dr. Kristen Westphalen and Countess Bartholomew in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) as well as film roles opposite Christopher Plummer in Secrets (1992) and Anthony Hopkins in To Be the Best (1991). Beacham maintained a regular presence on television and in theatre both in the US and the UK for the remainder of the 1990s until she played Phyllida Oswyn in the prison series Bad Girls (1999), a role she would play until the show's end in 2006. She would later have parts in films such as Love and Other Disasters (2006), Moving Target (2011) and Wild Oats (2016) and played Martha Fraser in Coronation Street (1960).
- IMDb mini biography by: .

Family
Spouse
John McEnery(May 19, 1973 - 1978) (divorced, 2 children)

Children
Phoebe McEnery
Chloe McEnery
Phoebe McEnery

Parents
Joan Beacham
Alec Beacham

Trademarks
Natural auburn hair
Deep sultry British accent.

Trivia
Her mother developed chicken pox while pregnant with Stephanie. It is believed that this was the root of her partial deafness. She is associated with the Tinnitus Society of Great Britain.
In 1972, she posed for Playboy magazine, and later said that her only regret was the wig she wore. However, when the pictures were republished in the mid 1980s when Beacham was starring on The Colbys (1985), she lost a $1 million contract with a cosmetics company.
Completely deaf in one ear, partially in her other.
Trained in mime in Paris with Etienne Decroux before studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London where she performed in such productions as "The Merchant of Venice" (as Portia) and "Twelfth Night" (as Maria).
Spokesperson for the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association, and serves on the Board of Directors for Free Arts for Abused Children.
Studied ballet from the age of four.
(May 7, 2009) Her boyfriend, a doctor, alerted her that she had a skin cancer problem on her nose and the lesion was surgically removed.
She was one of the judges on the final of the Miss Universe 1993 Pageant held in Mexico City, Mexico.
Has two daughters with John McEnery: Chloe McEnery and Phoebe McEnery.
Following a miscarriage that occurred as the result of an accident while in rehearsals for "Hamlet" on stage, daughter Phoebe McEnery was born December 22, 1974, and second daughter, Chloe, was born on February 7, 1977.
Her brother, Richard Beacham, is eight years older than her. He lived in Malaysia and had an economic adviser for underdeveloped countries.
She was to have reprised her role as Jessica Van Helsing from Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) in its sequel The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) but she was unavailable.
Earlier in her career she was regarded by the UK press as "Britain's first home grown sex symbol since Diana Dors".
She celebrated her 21st birthday whilst filming Legacy for the Saint (1968); Roger Moore surprised her with a hand-drawn card, a birthday cake and champagne.
Met John McEnery - her husband from 1973 to 1978 - in 1964 when she joined Everyman Theatre, the Liverpool company where he was a leading player: (Beacham quote:) "I was just a wardrobe assistant playing juvenile leads." Beacham and McEnery met up again seven years later at the Nottingham Playhouse, their co-starring roles as lovers in Harold Pinter's ''The Homecoming'' soon spilling over into real life.
Parents are Alec and Joan Beacham; has two sisters, Di-Di and Jenny Beacham, and one brother, Richard Beacham.
Appeared in six television shows produced by Aaron Spelling: Dynasty (1981), The Colbys (1985), The Love Boat (1977), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), Burke's Law (1994) and Charmed (1998).
After Beacham refused Joseph E. Levine's offer to pose for the Playboy magazine in 1971, he blacklisted her from Hollywood. Sam Peckinpah wanted to cast Beacham in the main role in Straw Dogs (1971), but the studios would not allow him. The role subsequently went to Susan George.
She is completely deaf in her right ear and has 75% hearing in her left ear.
Is good friends with Britt Ekland.
Turned down a role in Doctor Who (1963).
Ex-sister-in-law of Peter McEnery, Julie Peasgood and photographer David McEnery.
She of "The Vortex," in the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson/Josephine Hart and Stagescreen productions at the (University of California) James A. Doolittle Theatre in Los Angeles, California was awarded the 1991 Drama-Logue Award for Performance.
Originally aspired to teach movement to deaf children, however after visiting her then-boyfriend who was an actor at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre, this inspired her to become an actress.
In 1982, she was attached to star in a film called "Pirate Annie" with Bo Derek centering on female pirates, however it was never made.
Whilst studying in France she became an au-pair girl for a French diplomatic family.
Was attached to star in a sci-fi film entitled "The Aries Computer" in 1972 with Vincent Price and Andrew Keir however it was never made.
Studied mime in France under Etienne Decroux.
Dated Marlon Brando whilst filming The Nightcomers (1971) and remained close friends until Brando's death in 2004.
Hitchhiked down to the French Riviera aged 13 with a group of friends.
Nearly died in 1984 after contracting an infection after a routine operation in hospital.
Fiona Fullerton, Claudia Cardinale ,Glynis Barber, Moira Lister, Stephanie Beacham Patrick Allen and Sid James were all born in Africa.
Lost a cosmetic modeling contract after posing for the Playboy magazine.
Separated from her husband actor John McEnery.
Her daughter Phoebe was born in 1974 and Chloe in 1976.
In 2009, she launched her own range of skincare and beauty products called "Glow by Stephanie Beacham".
Published her autobiography in 2011, entitled "Many Lives", featuring a foreword by William Roache.
Lived in a pink cliff-top house in Malibu in the 1990s.
Threatened with a crowbar by a burglar at her London home in 2022. The man stole several of Beacham's personal belongings including her phone, some cash and jewellery but was later apprehended and sentenced to prison.
In 2015, In Touch magazine published a photo of Beacham on their front cover but with Caitlyn Jenner's face photoshopped on as part of an article called "Bruce Jenner: My Life as a Woman". Although the situation attracted media attention, Beacham brushed it off saying "she looks far lovelier than I do".
First job was working in a Boots chemists shop in Barnet high street.
In 1971, it was announced that Beacham and Donald Pleasence would star in a film about the life of Ruth Ellis, with Beacham in the title role, but the film was never made.
She got her role in Reflections in a Golden Eye due to Vanessa Redgrave's delay in returning from Italy.