Gladys Cooper (1888-1971) was an English actress, created a Dame (DBE) for her services to the theatre. She was born in London and made her stage début in 1905. It was not until 1922, however, that she found major success, in Pinero's The Second Mrs. Tanqueray. She appeared in many films and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Now, Voyager, but is perhaps best remembered by modern cinema audiences as Mrs Higgins in My Fair Lady. Gladys Cooper's daughter married the actor, Robert Hardy.
