Early life and career

Mills was born in Marylebone, London. She was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay, which co-starred her father, veteran British actor Sir John Mills. Bill Anderson, one of Walt Disney's producers, saw her performance and suggested that she be given the lead role in Pollyanna. The role of the orphaned "glad girl" who moves in with her aunt catapulted Mills to stardom in the United States and earned her a special Academy Award (the last person to receive the Juvenile Oscar). Because Mills was not able to be present to receive the trophy, Annette Funicello accepted it for her.

Disney subsequently cast Mills as twins Sharon and Susan who reunite their divorced parents in The Parent Trap. In the film, Mills sings "Let's Get Together" as a duet with herself. She made four additional films for Disney in a four-year span, including In Search of the Castaways and Summer Magic. Her final two Disney films, The Moon-Spinners and That Darn Cat!, did very well at the box office.

During her six-year run at Disney, Mills was arguably the most popular child actress of the era. Critics noted that America's favourite child star was, in fact, quite British and very ladylike. The success of "Let's Get Together" (which hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 17 in Britain) also led to the release of a record album on Disney's Buena Vista label, Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills, which also included her only other hit song, "Johnny Jingo" (Billboard No. 21, 1962). In 1962 British exhibitors voted her the most popular film actress in the country.

In addition to her Disney films, Mills starred in several other films, notably Whistle Down the Wind, 1961 (based on the book of the same title written by her mother, Mary Hayley Bell), with Alan Bates, The Truth About Spring (with her father, John Mills, cast as her father and James MacArthur as the love interest), and The Chalk Garden, 1964 (from the play by Enid Bagnold).

In 1962 Disney announced plans to film I Capture the Castle, from the novel by Dodie Smith, with Hayley Mills in the role of Cassandra. However, Disney never produced the film.

Post-Disney film career

After her contract with Disney, Mills scored a hit in The Trouble with Angels (1966), as a prankish Catholic boarding school girl with "scathingly brilliant" schemes, opposite screen veteran Rosalind Russell, and directed by another Hollywood veteran, Ida Lupino. Looking to break from her girl-next-door image, Mills returned to Britain to appear as a mentally challenged teenager in the film Sky West and Crooked, which was directed by her father and written by her mother. Shortly thereafter, Mills appeared alongside her father and Hywel Bennett in director Roy Boulting's critically acclaimed film The Family Way, a comedy about a couple having difficulty consummating their marriage, featuring a score by Paul McCartney and arrangements by Beatles producer George Martin. She eventually married Roy Boulting in 1971. She then starred as the protagonist of Pretty Polly, opposite famous Indian film actor Shashi Kapoor in Singapore, and appeared in the controversial horror thriller Twisted Nerve in 1968, along with her Family Way co-star Hywel Bennett. In 1972 she again acted opposite Hywel Bennett in Endless Night along with Britt Ekland, Per Oscarsson and George Sanders. It is based on the novel Endless Night by Agatha Christie. After her appearance in The Kingfisher Caper in 1975, Mills dropped out of the film industry for a few years.

Television resurgence and reception

In 1981 Mills returned to acting with a starring role in the UK television mini-series The Flame Trees of Thika, based on Elspeth Huxley's memoir of her childhood in East Africa. The series was well received, prompting Mills to accept more acting roles. She then returned to America, and made two appearances on The Love Boat.

Always welcomed at Disney, Mills narrated an episode of The Wonderful World of Disney, sparking renewed interest in her Disney work. In 1985, Mills was originally considered to voice Princess Eilonwy in Disney's 25th animated feature film The Black Cauldron but was later replaced by the veteran British voice actress Susan Sheridan. In 1986 she reprised her roles as twins Sharon and Susan for a trio of Parent Trap television films: The Parent Trap II, The Parent Trap III, and The Parent Trap IV: Hawaiian Honeymoon. Mills also starred as the title character in the Disney Channel-produced television series Good Morning, Miss Bliss in 1987. The show was cancelled after 13 episodes and the rights were acquired by NBC, which reformatted Good Morning, Miss Bliss into Saved by the Bell. In recognition of her work with The Walt Disney Company, Mills was awarded the Disney Legends award in 1998.

Mills recalled her childhood in the 2000 documentary film Sir John Mills' Moving Memories which was directed by Marcus Dillistone and written by her brother Jonathan. In 2005 Mills appeared in the acclaimed short film, Stricken, written and directed by Jayce Bartok.In 2007 she began appearing as Caroline in the ITV1 African vet drama, Wild at Heart; her sister Juliet was a guest star in the drama.

In 2010 Mills appeared in Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure, based on one of the popular Mandie novels of Lois Gladys Leppard.

Stage career

Mills made her stage debut in a 1966 West End revival of Peter Pan. In 2000 she made her Off Broadway debut in Sir Noël Coward's Suite in Two Keys, opposite American actress Judith Ivey, for which she won a Theatre World Award. In 1991 she appeared as Anna Leonowens in the Australian production of The King and I. In December 2007, for their annual birthday celebration of "The Master", The Noël Coward Society invited Mills as the guest celebrity to lay flowers in front of Coward's statue at New York's Gershwin Theatre, thereby commemorating the 108th birthday of Sir Noel.

In 2012 Mills starred as Ursula Widdington in the stage production of Ladies in Lavender at the Royal & Derngate Theatre, before embarking on a national UK tour.

Beginning May 2015, Mills will tour Australia with sister Juliet Mills and Maxwell Caulfield in the comedy Legends! by James Kirkwood.

Personal life

While filming The Family Way, the 20-year-old Mills met 53-year-old director Roy Boulting. The two married in 1971, and owned a flat in London's Kensington. They then went on to purchase Cobstone Windmill in Ibstone, Buckinghamshire. Their son, Crispian Mills, achieved recognition as the lead singer and guitarist for the raga rock band Kula Shaker. The couple divorced in 1977. Mills later had a second son, Jason Lawson, during a relationship with British actor Leigh Lawson.

Mills' partner since 1997 is actor/writer Firdous Bamji, who is 20 years her junior.

Mills had involvement with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (the "Hare Krishna" movement). She wrote the preface to the book The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking, published in 1984. Mills has been a pescetarian (i.e., one who eats fish but not other meat) since the late 1990s. However, in a 1997 article of People magazine, Mills stated that "she is 'not a part of Hare Krishna', though she delved into Hinduism and her own Christianity for guidance."

In 1988 Mills co-edited, with Marcus Maclaine, the book My God, which consisted of brief letters from celebrities on their beliefs (or lack thereof) regarding God and the life to come.

On 18 April 2008, Mills was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery and started, but quickly abandoned, chemotherapy after only three sessions due to the severity of side effects. Mills credits her survival to the alternative treatments she tried out, beating the disease into remission. She told Good Housekeeping magazine in January 2012 that she had fully recovered.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1959	Tiger Bay	Gillie
1960	Pollyanna	Pollyanna	Won an Academy Juvenile Award
1961	Parent Trap, TheThe Parent Trap	Susan Evers / Sharon McKendrick
1961	Whistle Down the Wind	Kathy Bostock
1962	In Search of the Castaways	Mary Grant
1963	Summer Magic	Nancy Carey
1964	Chalk Garden, TheThe Chalk Garden	Laurel
1964	Moon-Spinners, TheThe Moon-Spinners	Nikky Ferris
1965	Truth About Spring, TheThe Truth About Spring	Spring Tyler
1965	Sky West and Crooked	Brydie White
1965	That Darn Cat!	Patricia "Patti" Randall
1966	Trouble with Angels, TheThe Trouble with Angels	Mary Clancy
1966	Daydreamer, TheThe Daydreamer	The Little Mermaid	Voice role
1966	Family Way, TheThe Family Way	Jenny Fitton
1967	Pretty Polly	Polly Barlow	Alternate title: A Matter of Innocence
1968	Twisted Nerve	Susan Harper
1970	Take a Girl Like You	Jenny Bunn
1971	Mr. Forbush and the Penguins	Tara St. John Luke
1972	Endless Night	Ellie
1974	What Changed Charley Farthing?	Jenny	Alternate title: The Bananas Boat
1975	Kingfisher Caper, TheThe Kingfisher Caper	Tracey Van Der Byl
1976	Deadly Strangers	Belle Adams
1988	Appointment with Death	Miss Quinton
1990	After Midnight	Sally Ryan
1994	A Troll in Central Park	Hillary	Voice role
2004	2BPerfectlyHonest	Terri
2005	Stricken	Hildy	Short film
2010	Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure	Mary Elizabeth Taft
2011	Foster	Mrs. Lange

Box office ranking

• 1961 - most popular star at the UK box office
• 1962 - 20th most popular star in the US, 5th most popular in the UK
• 1963 - 5th most popular star in the UK

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	Thriller	Samantha Miller	Episode: "Only a Scream Away"
1979	Love Boat, TheThe Love Boat	Shirley Tyson	1 episode
1980	Love Boat, TheThe Love Boat	Leila Stanhope	1 episode
1981	Flame Trees of Thika, TheThe Flame Trees of Thika	Tilly	7 episodes
1983	Tales of the Unexpected	Claire Hawksworth	Episode: "A Sad Loss"
1985	Love Boat, TheThe Love Boat	Dianne Tipton	2 episodes
1986	Parent Trap II, TheThe Parent Trap II	Susan Corey / Sharon Ferris	Movie
1986	Murder, She Wrote	Cynthia Tate	Episode: "Unfinished Business"
1986	Amazing Stories	Joan Simmons	Episode: "The Greibble"
1987-89	Good Morning, Miss Bliss	Miss Carrie Bliss	Main role (14 episodes)
1989	Parent Trap III, TheThe Parent Trap III	Susan Evers / Sharon Grand	Movie
1989	Parent Trap IV: Hawaiian Honeymoon, TheThe Parent Trap IV: Hawaiian Honeymoon	Susan Wyatt / Sharon Grand	Movie
1990	Back Home	Mrs. Peggy Dickinson	Movie
2007-12	Wild at Heart	Caroline Du Plessis	Regular role (39 episodes)
2014	Midsomer Murders	Lizzy Thornfield	Episode: "Wild Harvest"
2014	Moving On	Madge	BBC, Series 6, Episode 1: "Madge"

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1969	Peter Pan	Peter Pan
1970	Three Sisters	Irina
1970	Wild Duck, TheThe Wild Duck	Hedvig
1972	Trelawny of the 'Wells'	Rose Trelawny
1975	Touch of Spring, AA Touch of Spring	Alison
1977	Rebecca	Mrs. De Winter
1978	My Fat Friend
1979	Importance of Being Earnest, TheThe Importance of Being Earnest	Gwendolina
1980	Summer Party, TheThe Summer Party
1982	Tally's Folly	Sally
1983	Dial M for Murder	Margot Wendice
1985	Toys in the Attic	Carrie
1991	Kidnap Game, TheThe Kidnap Game
1991	King and I, TheThe King and I	Anna
1992	Fallen Angels
1994	Midsummer Night's Dream, AA Midsummer Night's Dream
1994	Hamlet	Gertrude
1994	Card, TheThe Card	Countess of Chell
1995	Dead Guilty	Margaret
1997	King and I, TheThe King and I	Anna
2000	Two Can Play
2015	Cinderella-Pantomime	Fairy Godmother

Awards and nominations

This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful.

Year	Association	Category	Work	Result
1959	Berlin International Film Festival	Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury	Tiger Bay	Won
1959	BAFTA Awards	Most Promising Newcomer to Film	Tiger Bay	Won
1961	BAFTA Awards	Best British Actress	Pollyanna	Nominated
1961	Laurel Awards	Top Female New Personality		Won
1961	Academy Award	Juvenile Award	Pollyanna	Won
1961	Golden Globe Award	Most Promising Newcomer - Female		Won
1962	Golden Globe Award	Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy	The Parent Trap	Nominated
1962	BAFTA Awards	Best British Actress	Whistle Down the Wind	Nominated
1964	Golden Globe Award	Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy	Summer Magic	Nominated

[ Source: Wikipedia ]