Lynne Frederick
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lynne Maria Frederick | |
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| Born | Hillingdon, Middlesex, England July 25, 1954 |
| Died | Los Angeles, California April 27, 1994 |
Lynne Maria Frederick (July 25, 1954 – April 27, 1994) was an English actress.
Born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, Frederick's film career began in 1970, and her early films included roles as Tatiana, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and Catherine Howard in Henry VIII and his Six Wives (1972). Her other notable roles included Lucy in The Amazing Mr Blunden (1972), and a doomed Jewish refugee in the fact-based Voyage of the Damned (1976). She also appeared in the episode of Space: 1999 entitled "A Matter of Balance".
Despite winning good reviews for her early roles, and being described as a promising talent, Frederick's career quickly stagnated. She married the actor and comedian Peter Sellers, and was criticised by many of his contemporaries who regarded her as an opportunist who married Sellers for his money. Although Sellers was reportedly in the process of excluding Frederick from his will a week before he died of a heart attack, in 1980, she inherited almost his entire estate worth an estimated £4.5 million. Sellers left his two children with actress Ann Howe only £800 pounds each. After his death, Frederick won nearly $1.5 million in a lawsuit against the makers of Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), claiming the film tarnished Sellers' memory. When Frederick died, her mother Iris inherited everything including all of the income and royalties from Sellers' work. When Iris dies the whole estate will go to Cassie, the daughter Lynne had with her third husband, Barry Unger.
Frederick was married three times:
- 1) The English actor Peter Sellers (18 February 1977-24 July 1980)
- 2) Television presenter and journalist Sir David Frost (25 January 1981-1982)
- 3) Barry Unger (December 1982-1991)
She died in Los Angeles, California after suffering from alcoholism for several years.
