Joan Greenwood (March 4, 1921 - February 27, 1987) was a British actress who was born in Chelsea and studied at RADA. Her husky voice was her trademark, and in 1995 she was #63 on Empire magazine's list of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history. She worked mainly on the stage, where she had a long career, appearing with Donald Wolfit's theatre company in the years following World War II. However she did make several memorable screen appearances, most notably as Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) and as Sibella in the black comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). She was also in two more Ealing comedies, Whisky Galore and The Man in the White Suit. She had large roles in the Jules Verne based film Mysterious Island (1961) and Tom Jones (film) (1963). Her last film was Little Dorrit, made in the year of her death.
She is often remembered for her performance as Lady Carlton, a quirky romance novelist and landlady to the main characters, on the British sitcom Girls On Top.
She was married to fellow actor André Morell from 1959 until his death in 1978. They had one child, Jason, also an actor who has appeared in films such as Mrs. Brown (1997, as Lord Stanley) and Wilde (also 1997, as Ernest Dowson).
She died of a heart attack in London.
The Man in the White Suit (1951)
