Imogen Hassall

Imogen Hassall

English actress (1942–1980)
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Imogen Hassall
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Imogen Hassall Actress - Date of Birth 25 August 1942, Woking, Surrey, England, UK

Date of Death 16 November 1980, Wimbledon, London, England, UK (suicide by overdose)

Nickname The Countess of Cleavage

Height 5' 5" (1.65 m)

Mini Bio (1) Imogen Hassall is sometimes referred to as "The Countess of Cleavage" as she was better known for her glamorous celebrity than her acting talent. Imogen was born on August 25 1942, in Woking, Surrey, England and rose to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s as an international B-movie starlet. To her frustration, her fame was brief and she never became a star in her own right. She died at age 38, in London on November 16 1980, after taking an overdose of sleeping pills.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse (2)

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Andrew Knox (January 1979 - September 1979) divorced

Kenneth Ives (1968 - 1972) divorced

Trade Mark (1) Long lustrous black hair and a very large bust

Trivia (6) 1. Her role in Carry on Loving (1970) led to her being depicted as a character in a play about the true life romantic escapades of the best known Carry On-ers (Sidney James and Barbara Windsor), entitled "Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick," written by Terry Johnson. 2. The play was produced in 1998 by The Royal National Theatre Company, on the West End at The Royal National Theatre, London, England, UK. Two years later, Terry Johnson adapted his play for a television movie, produced as Cor, Blimey! (2000). 3. Ex-daughter-in-law of Alexander Knox and Doris Nolan. 4. Shortly before her death, she described her second marriage to Andrew Knox as "a total farce," while other times she expressed despair over the breakup and divorce. 5. Hassall was found by Suzanna Leigh in her Wimbledon cottage after she arrived to embark with Hassall on a holiday to Mombassa, Kenya. Hassall had recently been very depressed over the failure of her second marriage and her inability to find consistent, full-time acting work in several years. Police said she was found in bed, with a telephone in one hand and an empty bottle of pills in the other. Friends said that she had been hospitalized the week before for one of several suicide attempts. 6. Both Hassall and her second husband, Andrew Knox died by presumed suicide. 7. Her second husband, Andrew Knox was at least three years younger than she was. Alexander Knox and Doris Nolan, parents of Andrew, were not married until December 30, 1944, and although Andrew's birth date is not known specifically, it would have been most likely at least nine months after their marriage, and probably more.

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Imogen Hassall was born on Thursday, 6 August 1942 in Woking, Surrey, England, UK. Her full name at birth was Imogen Hassall. She was best known as an actress. Hassall's country of citizenship (nationality) was British. She died on Sunday, 16 November 1980 in Wimbledon, London, England, UK at the age of 38. She is buried at Gap Road Cemetery, Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton, Greater London, England. Imogen attended high school at [1952–54] Elmhurst Ballet School, Camberley, Surrey. For university, she studied at [1960–62] London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). She was 5' 5" (165 cm) tall and weighed 114 lbs (52 kg) with a voluptuous build. She had green eyes and dark brown hair (color). Her zodiac star sign was Leo.

You can find people similar to Imogen Hassall by visiting our lists 1980 suicides and Barbiturates-related deaths.

Full name at birth
Imogen Hassall
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Claim to fame
Jenny Grubb in ‘Carry On Loving’
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Date of birth
6 August 1942
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Place of birth
Woking, Surrey, England, UK
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Date of death
16 November 1980
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Age
38 (age at death)
Place of death
Wimbledon, London, England, UK
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Cause of death
Suicide by Overdose of sleeping pills.
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Resting place
Gap Road Cemetery, Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton, Greater London, England
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Occupation
Actress, Model, Ballerina
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Occupation category
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Nationality
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PERSONAL DETAILS

Height
5' 5" (165 cm)
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Weight
114 lbs (52 kg)
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Build
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Hair color
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Eye color
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Gender
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Ethnicity
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Sexuality
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Religion add_black religion
Zodiac sign
Distinctive feature
  • Long lustrous black hair and a very large bust....
  • She had a daughter called Melanie Ives Hassall, who died four days after being born in 1972...
  • Her second husband Andrew Knox also committed suicide in 1987...
  • She miscarried her second baby (by actor Andrew Knox) in 1979....
  • Hassall's private life was a regular subject of interest in tabloid newspapers, who labelled her 'The Countess of Cleavage'....
  • She was known for playing sexy, scantily-clad characters on film, TV & at film premieres....
  • After her failed relationships, the death of her child, her miscarriage, and her career decline, she became depressed & was found dead in her Wimbledon home on the morning of 16 November 1980....
  • Shortly before her death, she described her second marriage to Andrew Knox as "a total farce," while other times she expressed despair over the breakup and divorce....
  • Hassall had recently been very depressed over the failure of her second marriage and her inability to find consistent, full-time acting work in several years...
  • Police said she was found in bed, with a telephone in one hand and an empty bottle of pills in the other. Friends said that she had been hospitalized the week before for one of several suicide attempts....
  • Typecast as a ditzy sex-bomb in popular television series such as The Avengers and The Saint and was increasingly frustrated at being offered parts that, for the most part, belied her fierce intelligence and classical training....
  • By the mid-1970s, both the television and films roles started to dry up and Imogen began to seek other employment, taking on casual work in a wine bar....
  • Possessing a personal magnetism that defied her professional accomplishments, Imogen once remarked that she had two careers ‘as actress and as glamour girl.’ Tragically, she found fulfillment in neither....
  • In 2002, Dan Leissner published the biography, Tuesday’s Child: The Life and Death of Imogen Hassall in which he claimed ‘she would be delighted to know that we’re still talking about her'....
  • She lived at the house next to the pub The Crooked Billet which she frequented....
  • She married twice and cultivated a reputation for promiscuity making her a tabloid favourite, and soon the nickname 'the Countess of Cleavage' was coined....
  • Imogen was quickly pigeon-holed by the media and casting directors as only capable of playing certain roles. One can only imagine how frustrating this must have been for someone who was clearly talented....
  • Jacki Piper and Richard O'Callaghan spoke fondly of Imogen, sharing many happy memories of working with her on the film....
  • Imogen’s private life was tabloid’s dream. A regular on the party circuit and attending movie premiers, she was labelled “the Countess of Cleavage”, due to her rather scantily clad appearances....
  • This fun-loving outward persona however, hid an inner torment, and in her later years Imogen’s life was plagued with depression. Her life had become a rollercoaster, and after many failed relationships, her career was now in a rapid decline....
  • Imogen Hassall may have appeared outgoing and lively, but her lively appearance hid deep insecurities. She was a very attractive woman with a degree of talent, but she was also lonely and lacking confidence and self belief....
  • A loving, kind person whose star shone briefly, Imogen left an indelible mark as a starlet in a handful of British B-movies....
  • It is the human tragedy of a warm and caring, loving individual, who was broken inside and was lost....
  • Failing to find screen work due to alcoholism, she appeared in small touring theatre productions and worked as a waitress....
  • Actress friend Suzanna Leigh found Hassall dead in her apartment on the morning they had planned to take a holiday...
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Pets
  • A Parrot called Bubba
  • A Turtle called Rock
  • Andrew Knox (2nd husband)
  • Kenneth Ives (1st husband)
  • John Hassall (grandfather)
  • Joan Hassall (aunt)
  • Christopher Hassall (father)
  • Ivor Novello (godfather)
  • Melanie Ives Hassall (daughter)
  • Suzanna Leigh (actress friend)
  • Alexander Knox (ex father-in-law)
  • Doris Nolan (ex mother-in-law)
  • Eve Lynett (mother)
  • Bryan Lawrence (fellow ballet student)
  • Richard Farley (ex boyfriend)
  • Jacki Piper (actor)
  • Richard O'Callaghan (actor)
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ADDITIONAL DETAILS

High school
  • [1952–54] Elmhurst Ballet School, Camberley, Surrey
  • [1955–58] Royal Ballet School, White Lodge, Richmond Park, London
  • [1958-??] She studied in New York City
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University
[1960–62] London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA)
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Talent agency add_black talent agency
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Imogen Hassall is known for her role in the film When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970) as Ayak.

She is also known for her role in the TV series The Persuaders! (1971) as Maria.

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