Biography
British actress Susannah York studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she won the Arthene Seyler and Ronson Awards. Several theatrical appearances and TV plays later, York was cast in her first film, 1960's
Tunes of Glory. Her best early film roles included Sophie Western in
Tom Jones (1963) and a profoundly disturbed patient in
John Huston's
Freud (1962). She created a mild tabloid sensation in 1968 when she gamely participated in scenes involving masturbation and lesbian lovemaking in
The Killing of Sister George. Her performance as a bleach-blonde 1930s loser in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? won her the BFA award and an Oscar nomination; she would go on to collect a Cannes award for her work in
Robert Altman's
Images (1972). The biggest box-office successes which she has been most recently associated with were the first two
Superman films, in which she was cast as the Man of Steel's Kryptonian mother. Adding writing to her long list of accomplishments, Susannah York co-authored the script for her 1980 film
Falling in Love Again, and has published several popular children's books. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide