A stunning, South African-born actress, Janet Suzman became and established star of the London stage from the late 1960s through her association with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The strong-featured actress with piercing blue eyes has made occasional film appearances since her debut as the mother of an autistic child in "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" (1970; released in the USA in 1972). Perhaps Suzman's most notable role was her Oscar-nominated portrayal of the Russian Czarina in "Nicholas and Alexandra" (1971).

The granddaughter and niece of politically active South Africans, Suzman decided