Millicent Martin

Millicent Mary Lillian Martin was born on June 8, 1934, in Romford, Essex, England. At the age of 12, she enrolled in the Italia Conti Stage School. Her early theatrical career included a role in the pantomime “Dick Whittington” in December 1949 and “Aladdin” in December 1950. In May 1951, she appeared in “The Happiest Days of Your Life” at the Playhouse, Oxford. Martin made her Broadway debut in September 1954 alongside Julie Andrews in “The Boy Friend,” a production in which she played every female part during its run. She then took the lead role in the show’s London West End run.

Martin’s career expanded into television in the early 1960s, where she became the resident singer of topical songs on the British weekly satirical show “That Was The Week That Was” (TW3) from 1962 to 1963. In 1963, following the assassination of President Kennedy, Martin performed the tribute song “In the Summer of His Years” on the show, which was subsequently released as a single. Her work on TW3 earned her a BAFTA TV Award for Light Entertainment Personality in 1964. She later hosted her own BBC television series, “Mainly Millicent” (1964-1965), and “Millicent” (1966), for which she received the TV Society Award. Film appearances during the mid-1960s included “Nothing But the Best” (1964), “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” (1965), “Stop the World – I Want to Get Off” (1966), and “Alfie” (1966).

In New York, Martin received two Tony Award nominations for her work on Broadway: Best Featured Actress in a Musical for “Side by Side by Sondheim” (1977) and again for “King of Hearts” (1978). She took over the role of Dorothy Brock in the original Broadway production of “42nd Street” in the 1980s. Her later television roles include Gertrude Moon in the NBC sitcom “Frasier” (2000–2004) and Joan-Margaret in “Grace & Frankie” (2017–2022). She has also appeared in guest roles on shows such as “Modern Family,” “Hot in Cleveland,” and “2 Broke Girls.” In film, she played Mrs. De Salis in “Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont” (2005) and Margaret Dumont in “The Last Word” (2017).