Product Description

Born in Ramsgate during the 1940s, Brenda Bottle was the youngest of nine in a poor but close family. She left school to work as a secretary for British Rail, where she met her husband. But by the age of twenty-seven, the marriage was over. Brenda left her job and with the little she had saved, enrolled at Guildford Drama School. And so her life as an actress began. One of Britain's best-loved actresses, Brenda Blethyn has dazzled in a vast number of roles, including her performances as downtrodden Cynthia in Mike Leigh's SECRETS AND LIES and as the man-eating Mari Hoff in LITTLE VOICE, for which she received Oscar nominations. On stage, television and film she has worked with our greatest writers and directors -- Alan Bennett, Tom Stoppard, Sam Mendes, Peter Hall -- and actors -- including Michael Caine, Jude Law, Julie Walters, Brad Pitt, Ewan McGregor and John Hurt. Brenda is one of Britain's finest character actresses, famous for playing her roles with social realism and warmth, wit and humour -- characters her audience empathise with. She has the same warmth and humour off screen too; a wonderfully down-to-earth person with a fascinating history. Told with sparkling wit and engaging honesty, MIXED FANCIES is the compelling story of her journey from the Plains of Waterloo to the National Theatre and on to television, Hollywood and stardom.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #207290 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Customer Reviews

England's National Treasure
Brenda Blethyn is one of our great actresses, of the same quality (or perhaps higher?) as Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Joan Plowright, et al.
What is remarkable about her is not just her superb artistry and ability to portray many different kinds of women, but her refreshing lack of pretension and, as evidenced by this book, her natural ability to communicate her thoughts and feelings. Aside from her talents, she seems to me the very epitome of "Britishness" in all its senses.....and I love her for that as much as I admire her non-nonsense approach to the delicate art of acting. Her performance in "Secrets & Lies" should have won her an Oscar. Her writing in this book is absolutely delightful. A lovely, lovely woman. Read it!

Exceptional - warm fresh and funny
What a fantastic book this is. Brenda Blethyn is one of our leading actors and this is her story from childhood to the present. This is no ordinary autobiography, is reads as if you are sitting next to the author having a gentle chat and a laugh. She comes over as totally unassuming and genuine and her refreshing honesty and wit pour off every page. Whether she tells embarrassing stories or talks of her family, everything comes over with charm and passion.
There will be an obvious appeal to those of 'a certain age' but I am a 48 year old male who normally enjoys thrillers or SF/Fantasy and I thought it was hugely enjoyable and cannot recommend it highly enough.

a warming personal history
What strikes me most about this memoir, is the humility of Brenday Blethyn. None of her experiences seem to have changed her essential personality, which comes across with such warmth. I have a sense that I could have a conversation with her, without feeling shy or embarassed. She comes across as the girl next door, the schoolfriend fondly remembered, essentially a very real person, without any pretence. The strength of her family comes across most strongly, and it feels as if i have known this family, (or one like hers) for years. There is so much to identify with her life, and something that is best about all of us who have grown up in such a working class background.
The style of the book reminds me much of the book written by Sheila Hancock, about her life with John Thaw, so if you have read that, I can guarantee you will like this. It is written in such a simple, acceptable style, which makes it that much more easy to read and appreciate.