14 Facts About Vivien Merchant

Ada Brand Thomson, known professionally as Vivien Merchant, was an English actress.

Vivien Merchant began her career in 1942, and became known for dramatic roles on stage and in films.

Merchant took her stage name as a composite of the actress Vivien Leigh and her brother, who was a merchant seaman.

Vivien Merchant began acting professionally in 1942, with supporting juvenile roles in repertory, progressing to West End roles in such works as Noel Coward's Sigh No More and Ace of Clubs, becoming an established lead in repertory in the early 1950s.

Vivien Merchant subsequently performed in many stage productions and several films, including Alfie, Accident, Frenzy, and The Offence.

Vivien Merchant subsequently appeared as Wendy in Tea Party opposite Leo McKern in 1965.

Vivien Merchant starred as Ruth in The Homecoming on stage in both London in 1965 and New York in 1967, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play.

Vivien Merchant went on to star in the film version in 1973.

Vivien Merchant played Lady Macbeth to Paul Scofield's Macbeth for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967, directed by Sir Peter Hall.

Vivien Merchant took the role of Madame in the Greenwich Theatre revival of Jean Genet's The Maids partnering Glenda Jackson and Susannah York: This was filmed in 1974 by Christopher Miles.

Vivien Merchant was the first wife of Harold Pinter, whom she met while working as a repertory actress; he was then working as an actor under the stage name of David Baron.

Pinter left, and Vivien Merchant filed for divorce and gave interviews to the tabloid press, expressing her distress.

Vivien Merchant became deeply depressed after the end of her marriage to Pinter and turned to drinking.

Vivien Merchant died at the age of 53 on 3 October 1982, from alcoholism.