Celia Johnson

She married Peter Fleming, brother of Ian Fleming and a travel writer, on December 10, 1935.

She had three children from this marriage, a son named Nicholas and two daughters named Kate and Lucy.

She suffered from measles at a very young age which caused problems with her eyesight for the rest of her life.

Celia Johnson was born Celia Elizabeth Johnson at Ellerker Gate, Richmond, Surrey, England, on December 18, 1908. Her father, Robert Johnson was a doctor from Cambridge, Essex. He was also the physician of the Duke AND Duchess of York. Her mother was Ethel Griffiths.

Celia was the second of the three Johnson children. Her elder sister was Pam.

She was interested in acting from a very early age and used to organize plays with other children. Celia and Pam made it into the local newspapers when they raised funds for the Red Cross camp at the Richmond Park by organizing a show titled ‘King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid’ during the First World War.

Celia received private tuition along with her sister and enrolled at the ‘St. Paul’s Girls’ School’ in April 1919 after passing the admission test in the second attempt. She learnt to play the oboe, studied music under Gustav Holst, excelled at gym and appeared in four French plays during her days at this school till 1926.

In 1926 she applied to the ‘Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’. She passed the test and was given a chance to learn acting at this institute. She showed a talent in acting in French plays there.

Celia Johnson came back to England and appointed Aubrey Blackburn as her agent to get roles on the stage. He got her a role for which she was paid 3 pounds per week.

She debuted as ‘Sarah Undershaft’ in 1928 in Bernard Shaw’s play ‘Major Barbara’ being staged at the ‘Theater Royal’ in Huddersfield.

She acted in some more plays including A. A. Milne’s ‘To Have the Honor’ and others.

In 1929 she went to London when she got a chance to star in Sir Nigel Playfair’s ‘A Hundred Years Old’ held at ‘Lyric Theater’ in Hammersmith.

With her career getting stalled, she acted in some French plays and experimental plays at the ‘Arts Theater Club’.

Celia Johnson won a ‘Academy Award for Best Actress’ nomination in 1945.

She won the ‘New York Critics Award’ in 1946 for ‘Brief Encounter’.

She was honored with the ‘Commander of the Order of the British Empire’ in 1958 for her services to the theater.

She was nominated five times for the ‘BAFTA Awards’ and won it in 1969 and 1973.

She won the award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ from the ‘Society of Film and TV Arts’ in 1970.