Born and raised in Wales

Began career as a radio actress with BBC-Radio, Wales in the mid-1940s

Made TV debut in the 1950s on BBC-Television, Wales

Worked as a newsreader and announcer for the BBC

Toured Wales in Welsh-language productions for the Wales Arts Council

Played title role of "Saint Joan" in Covington

Made London stage debut as "Hedda Gabler"

Starred opposite Peter O'Toole in "Siwan", a BBC production about the arranged marriage between the title character, the daughter of King John and a Welsh prince

Film debut in small role in "The Longest Day"

Appeared as Hannah Jelkes in the London production of Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana"

Had co-starring role in "Becket", starring then-husband Peter O'Toole; first of four films together

Played another Williams' heroine, Alma, in "Eccentricities of a Nightingale"

Received widespread attention for her theatrical performance in the musical remake of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", starring O'Toole and directed by Herbert Ross

Final film with O'Toole, "Under Milk Wood"; last film for nine years

Portrayed Virgina Woolf in the stage production, "A Nightingale in Bloomsbury Square"

Starred as suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst in the BBC series "Shoulder to Shoulder" (aired in the USA on PBS in 1975)

Portrayed Beth Morgan in the BBC TV adaptation of "How Green Was My Valley"

Offered a delectable turn as the evil Livia in the BBC production of "I, Claudius"

Starred in the British TV series "Warrior Queen" (Thames Television)

First played Ann Smiley opposite Alec Guiness in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (aired on PBS in the USA in 1980)

Returned to film acting in Herbert Ross' feature biopic "Nijinsky"

Made stage singing debut starring as Vera in the London revival of the musical "Pal Joey"

Cast as Clementine Churchill opposite Robert Hardy in "Winston Churchill--The Wilderness Years"

Reprised Ann Smiley in the syndicated "Smiley's People"

Played Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam in "Dune"

Appeared in the London production of the stage adaptation of the musical "Gigi"

Portrayed the Duchess of Windsor in the NBC miniseries "The Two Mrs Grenvilles"

Essayed the mother or Fairuza Balk's Cecile in "Valmont", Milos Forman's adaptation of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"

Played Daniel Day-Lewis' mother in "The Age of Innocence"

Appeared as the title character's grandmother in "Heidi" (The Disney Channel)

Initial collaborations with playwright Pam Gems (as translator/adaptor) and director Sean Mathias, "Ghosts"

First portrayed screen legend Marlene Dietrich for two nights in the musical play "Marlene"; written by Gems and directed by Mathias

Returned to Broadway as star of the award-winning revival of "An Inspector Calls"

Portrayed Madame Armfeldt in a stage revival of "A Little Night Music", starring Judi Dench and staged by Mathias

Revived "Marlene" for a tour and eventual run in London's West End

Delivered a mememorable performance as Queen Eleanor in the A&E miniseries "Ivanhoe"

Played the Red Queen in the Channel Four adaptation of "Alice Through the Looking Glass", starring Kate Beckinsale

Starred in the short-lived Broadway production of "Marlene"; received a Tony Award nomination

Had supporting role in the BBC-1 series "Aristocrats"

Starred in L.A. stage production "My Old Lady"