Hildegarde Neil

{{Infobox person

| name = Hildegarde Neil

| other_names = Hildegard Blessed

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1939|05|20}}

| birth_place = Cape Town, South Africa

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2023|09|19|1939|05|20}}

| death_place =

| spouse = {{marriage|Brian Blessed|1978}}

| children = 1

| occupation = Actress

}}

Hildegard Hope Zimmermann (20 May 1939 – 19 September 2023), also credited as Hildegard Neil, was an English actress.

Career

Born in South Africa,{{Cite web|title = Brian Blessed's Cape Town: 'It's where I feel most alive' |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africa/south-africa/cape-town/articles/brian-blessed-cape-town-my-kind-of-town-celebrity-travel/|website=Telegraph.co.uk|access-date = 2018-05-21}} she came to England in 1961 and went to RADA for two years. Neil first appeared on television in a BBC schools' television production of Julius Caesar in 1963 and after that appeared mostly as a guest artiste in a variety of television series over the next 40 years. She has also appeared in several films and on stage, both in the West End and touring.

{{Cite book|title=Absolute pandemonium : a memoir|last=Blessed|first=Brian|year=2015|isbn=9780283072314|location=London|oclc=938791263}}

Personal life

Neil was married to actor Brian Blessed and had a daughter with him, Rosalind,{{Cite news|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/brian-blessed-i-want-to-go-to-the-moon-the-greatest-danger-in-life-is-not-taking-the-adventure-34110908.html|title=Brian Blessed: 'I want to go to the moon... the greatest danger in life is not taking the adventure'|work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|access-date=2017-11-02|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}} who is also an actress and represented by the same agent as her mother. On 23 May 2009, Neil appeared with her husband on the ITV entertainment show, All Star Mr & Mrs, on which it was established that she was a keen Liverpool F.C. supporter.

Hildegarde Neil died of cancer on 19 September 2023, at the age of 84.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/oct/16/hildgard-neil-obituary|title=Hildegard Neil obituary|first=Anthony|last=Hayward|date=16 October 2023|access-date=17 October 2023|newspaper=The Guardian}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.love2donate.co.uk//inmemory/identify_name.php?currentpage=1&chosen=62252&adstate=Y|title=In Memory Of: Hildegard Neil|website=Love2donate.co.uk|access-date=16 October 2023}}{{cite web |title=Hildegarde Neil, 1939–2023 |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3701486986763897&set=pcb.3701489866763609 |website=Nick Shearman on Facebook |access-date=16 October 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=142924|title=Hildegard Neil|website=Aveleyman.com|access-date=16 October 2023}}{{cite news |title=Hildegarde Neil obituary |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/hildegard-neil-obituary-0xmxbn3d3 |access-date=28 October 2023 |work=The Times |date=28 October 2023}}

Stage appearances

Neil spent a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1969-70, playing a variety of roles.
Neil played Lady Macbeth in Ewan Hooper's production of Macbeth at the Greenwich Theatre, which opened on 18 February 1971.{{Cite web|url=https://wikidelia.net/wiki/DD135629|title=DD135629 - WikiDelia|website=Wikidelia.net|access-date=16 October 2023}}
Neil directed Roan School for Girls' production of Much Ado about Nothing in 1971 and As You Like It in 1972.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1970 \|{{sortname\|The\|Man Who Haunted Himself}} \|Eve Pelham \|{{Cite web\|url=https://wikidelia.net/wiki/DD140622\|title=DD140622 - WikiDelia\|website=Wikidelia.net\|access-date=16 October 2023}}
1972 \|Antony and Cleopatra \|Cleopatra \|
1973 \|{{sortname\|A\|Touch of Class\|A Touch of Class (film)}} \|Gloria Blackburn \|
1973 \|England Made Me \|Kate Farrant \|
1978 \|{{sortname\|The\|Legacy\|The Legacy (1978 film)}} \|Barbara Kirstenburg \|
1980 \|{{sortname\|The\|Mirror Crack'd}} \|Lady Foxcroft \|"Murder at Midnight"
1994 \|Seaview Knights \|The Psychiatrist \|
1996 \|{{sortname\|The\|Bruce\|The Bruce (film)}} \|Queen Eleanor \|
1997 \|Macbeth \|1st Witch \|
1999 \|King Lear \|The Fool \|
2005 \|Upstaged \|Aunt Mary \|
2009 \|Mr. Bojagi \|The Woman \|Short
2016 \|Leni. Leni. \|Leni Riefenstahl \|Short
20?? \|Previous Vengeance \|Beatka \|Announced

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1970

|{{sortname|The|Man Who Haunted Himself}}

|Eve Pelham

|{{Cite web|url=https://wikidelia.net/wiki/DD140622|title=DD140622 - WikiDelia|website=Wikidelia.net|access-date=16 October 2023}}

1972

|Antony and Cleopatra

|Cleopatra

1973

|{{sortname|A|Touch of Class|A Touch of Class (film)}}

|Gloria Blackburn

1973

|England Made Me

|Kate Farrant

1978

|{{sortname|The|Legacy|The Legacy (1978 film)}}

|Barbara Kirstenburg

1980

|{{sortname|The|Mirror Crack'd}}

|Lady Foxcroft

|"Murder at Midnight"

1994

|Seaview Knights

|The Psychiatrist

1996

|{{sortname|The|Bruce|The Bruce (film)}}

|Queen Eleanor

1997

|Macbeth

|1st Witch

1999

|King Lear

|The Fool

2005

|Upstaged

|Aunt Mary

2009

|Mr. Bojagi

|The Woman

|Short

2016

|Leni. Leni.

|Leni Riefenstahl

|Short

20??

|Previous Vengeance

|Beatka

|Announced

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1963 \|Julius Caesar \|Calpurnia \|TV miniseries
1964 \|No Hiding Place \|Ann \|"Aftertaste"
1968 \|Dixon of Dock Green \|Jean Holden \|"The Prospective Candidate"
1968 \|Resurrection \|Mariette \|TV miniseries
1969 \|Imperial Palace \|Gracie Savott \|"Arrivals", "Departures"
1969 \|{{sortname\|The\|Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder\|nolink=1}} \|Marylou Plessy \|"The Green Mamba"
1969 \|{{sortname\|The\|Expert\|The Expert (TV series)}} \|Dorothy Hamilton \|"A Family Affair"
1969 \|W. Somerset Maugham \|Lady Kastellan \|"A Casual Affair"
1969 \|ITV Playhouse \|Marion \|"Double Agent"
1970 \|Mystery and Imagination \|The Woman in Black \|"The Suicide Club"
1970 \|Doomwatch \|Dr. Stella Robson \|"Project Sahara"
1970 \|Codename \|Zeta Baker \|"Come Home to Paradise"
1970 \|Ace of Wands \|Madame Midnight \|"One and One and One Are Four: Parts 2 & 3"
1970 \|{{sortname\|The\|Adventures of Don Quick}} \|Mrs. Arborel \|"The Higher the Fewer"
1970 \|{{sortname\|The\|Main Chance}} \|Ursula Findon \|"Settlement Day"
1970 \|Happily Ever After \|Mary Wilshaw \|"Don't Walk Away"
1970 \|Put Out More Flags \|Angela Lyne \|TV film
1970 \|Man at the Top \|Liz Gilbert \|"It's All Perfectly True"
1971 \|Jason King \|Lyra Delon \|"Flamingos Only Fly on Tuesdays"
1972 \|Six Faces \|Helen Barlow \|"Commonwealth of Malignants", "Around the Child"
1973 \|Play for Today \|Diana \|"Access to the Children"
1973 \|{{sortname\|The\|Protectors}} \|Irena Gayevska \|"The Last Frontier"
1974 \|Orson Welles Great Mysteries \|The Lady \|"Compliments of the Season"
1974 \|Boy Dominic \|Emma Bulman \|TV series
1974 \|{{sortname\|The\|Early Life of Stephen Hind\|nolink=1}} \|Colette Hyde \|TV miniseries
1975 \|Whodunnit? \|Audrey Baxter \|"Final Drive"
1976 \|Couples \|Diana Lawson \|"1.52", "1.53", "1.54"
1977 \|Crown Court \|Virginia Matheson \|"Such a Charming Man: Part 1"
1977 \|Space: 1999 \|Elizia \|"Devil's Planet"{{Cite web\|url=http://sttos.epguides.info/?Actor=2928\|title=Star Trek: The Original Series\|website=Sttos.epguides.info\|access-date=16 October 2023}}
1977 \|Van der Valk \|Else Rokin \|"Accidental"
1978 \|{{sortname\|The\|Professionals\|The Professionals (TV series)}} \|Sara \|"Close Quarters"
1979 \|ITV Playhouse \|Philippa \|"Saint Vitus' Dance"
1981 \|{{sortname\|A\|Spy at Evening\|nolink=1}} \|Virginia \|TV miniseries
1981 \|Diamonds \|Margaret Coleman \|Main role
1984 \|A Talent for Murder \|Sheila McClain \|TV film
2007 \|Hotel Babylon \|Marchioness of Telford \|"2.3"
2007 \|Doctors \|Nellie Shamus \|"Flights of Fantasy"
2009 \|Doctors \|Shelia Bardock \|"Vera Pym"
2010 \|Above Suspicion \|Florence Pennel \|"The Red Dahlia: Part 1"
2012 \|Doctors \|Rosie Bryer \|"The Well Spoken Man"

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1963

|Julius Caesar

|Calpurnia

|TV miniseries

1964

|No Hiding Place

|Ann

|"Aftertaste"

1968

|Dixon of Dock Green

|Jean Holden

|"The Prospective Candidate"

1968

|Resurrection

|Mariette

|TV miniseries

1969

|Imperial Palace

|Gracie Savott

|"Arrivals", "Departures"

1969

|{{sortname|The|Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder|nolink=1}}

|Marylou Plessy

|"The Green Mamba"

1969

|{{sortname|The|Expert|The Expert (TV series)}}

|Dorothy Hamilton

|"A Family Affair"

1969

|W. Somerset Maugham

|Lady Kastellan

|"A Casual Affair"

1969

|ITV Playhouse

|Marion

|"Double Agent"

1970

|Mystery and Imagination

|The Woman in Black

|"The Suicide Club"

1970

|Doomwatch

|Dr. Stella Robson

|"Project Sahara"

1970

|Codename

|Zeta Baker

|"Come Home to Paradise"

1970

|Ace of Wands

|Madame Midnight

|"One and One and One Are Four: Parts 2 & 3"

1970

|{{sortname|The|Adventures of Don Quick}}

|Mrs. Arborel

|"The Higher the Fewer"

1970

|{{sortname|The|Main Chance}}

|Ursula Findon

|"Settlement Day"

1970

|Happily Ever After

|Mary Wilshaw

|"Don't Walk Away"

1970

|Put Out More Flags

|Angela Lyne

|TV film

1970

|Man at the Top

|Liz Gilbert

|"It's All Perfectly True"

1971

|Jason King

|Lyra Delon

|"Flamingos Only Fly on Tuesdays"

1972

|Six Faces

|Helen Barlow

|"Commonwealth of Malignants", "Around the Child"

1973

|Play for Today

|Diana

|"Access to the Children"

1973

|{{sortname|The|Protectors}}

|Irena Gayevska

|"The Last Frontier"

1974

|Orson Welles Great Mysteries

|The Lady

|"Compliments of the Season"

1974

|Boy Dominic

|Emma Bulman

|TV series

1974

|{{sortname|The|Early Life of Stephen Hind|nolink=1}}

|Colette Hyde

|TV miniseries

1975

|Whodunnit?

|Audrey Baxter

|"Final Drive"

1976

|Couples

|Diana Lawson

|"1.52", "1.53", "1.54"

1977

|Crown Court

|Virginia Matheson

|"Such a Charming Man: Part 1"

1977

|Space: 1999

|Elizia

|"Devil's Planet"{{Cite web|url=http://sttos.epguides.info/?Actor=2928|title=Star Trek: The Original Series|website=Sttos.epguides.info|access-date=16 October 2023}}

1977

|Van der Valk

|Else Rokin

|"Accidental"

1978

|{{sortname|The|Professionals|The Professionals (TV series)}}

|Sara

|"Close Quarters"

1979

|ITV Playhouse

|Philippa

|"Saint Vitus' Dance"