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Eileen Herlie

1918 – 2008

British actress

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About Eileen Herlie

Lived 1918 – 2008 (aged 90). Eileen Herlie was an American actor, television actor and stage actor.

Eileen Herlie (8 March 1918 – 8 October 2008) was a Scottish actress.

Personal life Eileen Herlie was born Eileen Isobel Herlihy to an Irish Catholic father, Patrick Herlihy, and a Scottish Protestant mother, Isobel Cowden, in Glasgow, Scotland, and was one of five children. She attended Shawlands Academy, on the city's southside. Herlie was trained as a theatre actress. Among her West End London theatre successes were The Eagle Has Two Heads by Jean Cocteau. She was married twice, to Philip Barrett (m 1942) and Witold Kuncewicz (m 1951), both marriages ending in divorce. She had no children.

Her first role in the London theatre in 1942 was as the second Mrs de Winter in Daphne du Maurier's stage adaptation of her own novel Rebecca.

In the same year, Sir Alexander Korda placed her under contract to his London Films company. However, she would make only two films for him: The Angel with the Trumpet in 1949 and The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan in 1952. Her remaining three British films - Isn't Life Wonderful!, shot in 1952, For Better, for Worse, shot in 1954, and She Didn't Say No!, shot in 1957 - were made for the Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC). and also in the 1964 film version of the production.

On 19 December 2008, All My Children dedicated the episode to Herlie and her character Myrtle by having the characters closest to Myrtle celebrate her life in a room named after her. Toward the end, Agnes Nixon, All My Children's creator, entered and blew a kiss toward Myrtle's portrait.

Award nominations Daytime Emmy Award nominations (1986) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for All My Children (1985) Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series for All My Children (1984) Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series for All My Children Tony Award nominations (1960) Best Actress in a Musical for Take Me Along

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Shawlands Academy

People in Eileen Herlie's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Eileen Herlie's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Eileen Herlie?

British actress (1918-2008)

When was Eileen Herlie born?

Eileen Herlie was born on 8 March 1918 in Glasgow.

When did Eileen Herlie die?

Eileen Herlie died on 8 October 2008 in New York City.

What was Eileen Herlie's occupation?

Eileen Herlie was an actor, television actor and stage actor.

What nationality was Eileen Herlie?

Eileen Herlie was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Eileen Herlie

· Wikidata: Q5349381

· DBpedia: Eileen Herlie

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Eileen Herlie. https://biography.guide/eileen-herlie/

MLA: "Eileen Herlie." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/eileen-herlie/.

Chicago: "Eileen Herlie." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/eileen-herlie/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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