Barbara Steele

Barbara Steele (born 29 December 1937) and "Britain's first lady of horror". She played the dual role of Asa and Katia Vajda in Mario Bava's film Black Sunday, and starred in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), (1962), (1964), and Castle of Blood (1964).

Additionally, Steele had supporting roles in Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963), David Cronenberg's Shivers (1975), Joe Dante's Piranha and Louis Malle's Pretty Baby (both 1978), and appeared on television in the 1991 TV series Dark Shadows. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for producing the American television miniseries War and Remembrance (1988–89). Steele appeared in several films in the 2010s, including a lead role in The Butterfly Room (2012) and supporting role in Ryan Gosling's Lost River (2014).

Early life Steele was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire. She studied art at the Chelsea Art School and in Paris at the Sorbonne. Before her film career, Steele acted on stage and also worked as a model.

Career

Early work Steele was signed to a contract by the Rank Organisation. She appeared in several minor film roles during the late 1950s, including in the BAFTA-winning Sapphire (where she appeared opposite future Black Sunday co-star John Richardson) and Upstairs and Downstairs.

In 1960, her contract was sold to 20th Century Fox. She guest starred on an episode of the ABC series, Adventures in Paradise, and was cast as the female lead opposite Elvis Presley in the Western film Flaming Star (1960). However, after one week of principal photography, Steele left the production and was replaced by Barbara Eden. Author Adam Victor writes in The Elvis Encyclopaedia that she was fired because studio executives thought her British accent was too pronounced. However, Steele claimed she quit over a disagreement with director Don Siegel. Regardless, a March 1960 Screen Actors Guild strike led Steele to abandon her Fox contract.

Italians films and stardom Steele travelled to Italy with the hopes of working with director Federico Fellini. Soon after her arrival, she was cast in her breakout part, the dual roles of Asa and Katia Vajda in Mario Bava's Black Sunday. There are two accounts describing how Steele came to be cast in the film: one suggests that Bava, while perusing through head shots of British actors under contract at Fox, selected Steele from these photos. Bava later commented that Steele "had the perfect face for my films". In 2012, Gatiss again interviewed Steele about her role in Shivers for his follow-up documentary, Horror Europa. In 2014, she appeared in Ryan Gosling's directorial debut, the drama-fantasy thriller film Lost River, in which she portrayed the character Belladonna in a supporting role.

In 2017, she was inducted into the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards' Hall of Fame.

In 2020, she had a guest role on the animated series Castlevania, voicing the character Miranda.

Personal life Steele was married to American screenwriter James Poe. They were married in 1969 and divorced in 1978. Over the same period her focus changed from European (primarily Italian) films to North American ones. They have a son, Jonathan.

Filmography Film Year Title Role(s)Notes Refs.1958 Bachelor of Hearts Fiona 1959 The 39 Steps Bit part Uncredited Sapphire Student The Heart of a Man Girl Deleted role Upstairs and Downstairs Mary 1960 Your Money or Your Wife Juliet Frost Black Sunday Asa Vajda, Katia Vajda 1961 The Pit and the Pendulum Elizabeth Barnard Medina 1962 Cynthia Il capitano di ferro Floriana 1963 8½ Gloria Morin Leila Margaret Hichcock Silvia 1964 Castle of Blood Elisabeth Blackwood Barbara, Mrs. Brugnoli Segments: "L'hobby" and "La Cambiale" Les baisers Thelma Segment: "Baiser du Soir" White Voices Giulia Three for a Robbery Barbara Sims The Monocle Laughs Valérie Amore facile Contessa Bardi-Stucchi Segment "Divorzio italo-americano" Helen Karnstein, Mary Karnstein 1965 Terror-Creatures from the Grave Cleo Hauff Nightmare Castle Muriel, Jenny Once Upon a Tractor Lady Clerk 1966 Young Törless Bozena For Love and Gold Teodora The She Beast Veronica Harriet Montebruno, Belinda 1968 Curse of the Crimson Altar Lavinia Morley 1970 Fermate il mondo... voglio scendere! Danielle 1974 Caged Heat Superintendent McQueen 1975 Shivers Betts 1977 I Never Promised You a Rose Garden Deleted role 1978 Pretty Baby Josephine Piranha Dr. Mengers La clé sur la porte Cathy 1979 Silent Scream Victoria Engels 1995 Tief oben Mrs. Wagner 1998 The Prophet Agent Oakley 2008 The Boneyard Collection Vanessa Peabody Segment: "Her Morbid Desires" 2012 Ann 2014 Lost River Grandmother 2016 Minutes Past Midnight The Apparition of the Mill Segment "The Mill at Calder's End" 2023 Ulalume - A Ballad Opening Narrator (voice)

Short films Year Title RoleNotes Refs.1965 Once Upon a Tractor Lady Clerk 2015 The Mill at Calder's End The Apparition of the Mill 2016 The Widow

Television

TV films, miniseries, and specials

Awards and nominations