1892 - 1977

She began her acting career at the age of 11 at her brother's side in the play "The Scarlet Pimpernel".
Her next training led her to Paris, two years later she returned to England again and attended the Royal Academy of Music, where she also had singing lessons.

When she grew up she changed her name into the stage name Phyllida Terson in order to stand on her own two feet. Her first engagement with this name was for the play "Henry of Navare" in 1909. In the next years followed other big successes at different theaters and Phyllis Neilson-Terry became a demanded actress.

She made her stage debut in the USA in 1914 and was also very successful in this country. There she also made her film debut with "Trilby" (15), but the film business kept only a casual activity.

She returned to England in 1919 where she appeared in her second movie "L'appel du sang / The Call of the Blood" at Ivor Novello's side. After that followed only two more silent movies - the montage "Tense Moments with Great Authors" (22) and "Boadicea" (28).

She shifted the focal point of her appearances on stage to plays by William Shakespeare, but also other plays offered her grateful roles time and again.
When she had to bear the death of her brother and her father in 1932/1933 she continued her career obliged to the tradition.

Her first talky came in 1930 into being called "One Family", after that it lasted nearly 30 years till she took part in a movie again.
To her last cinematical works belong "Look Back in Anger" (58) with Richard Burton, "RX for Murder" (58) and "Conspiracy of Hearts" (60) with Lilli Palmer.
Moreover she also acted in two episodes of the serial "Ivanhoe: The Kidnapping" (58) and "Ivanhoe: The Princess" (58).