Down was born on 17 March 1954 and brought up in Wandsworth, London, England.[3] She began acting and modelling, and in her teenage years won several beauty pageants. She was voted Britain's most beautiful teenager at the age of 15.[2][3] Down left school at 15 and came to America for the first time at 17.[4] In 1969, she made her feature film debut in a supporting role in the British drama sexploitation film The Smashing Bird I Used to Know.[4]
Down with Kirk Douglas and Mark Lester in Scalawag (1973)
In 1973, Down was cast as Georgina Worsley in the Emmy Award-winning British period drama series, Upstairs, Downstairs. She made her debut in the episode "Goodwill to All Men" in December 1973. In 1974, she appeared in the anthology horror film From Beyond the Grave and the following year had supporting role in the action thriller Brannigan. Her television appearances includes Bedtime Stories, The Sweeney and When the Boat Comes In. Her fame led to a nude photoshoot for the magazine Mayfair in 1975.[6]Upstairs, Downstairs was her career breakthrough; after the show ended in 1975, she moved to Hollywood and began her film career.
In 1980, she starred opposite Burt Reynolds in the crime comedy film Rough Cut.[18] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote: "Lesley-Anne Down often looks as ravishing as Ava Gardner in her prime. The heady sensation created when her generous lips expand into a brilliant smile is an incidental pleasure well worth overindulging, but it would be even better if she had a role that permitted her more relaxation and confidence (and a costumer and hairdresser who consistently enhanced her beauty). The heroine's dialogue seems to have been contrived under the influence of vague recollections of Grace Kelly in "To Catch a Thief." The role affects an hauteur that doesn't become Lesley-Anne Down somehow. It also appears to tax her acting technique, which isn't nearly as sleek as Kelly's. I suspect that the very idea of presenting her as a bitchy-elegant society girl inhibits Down rather more than it flatters her. There are moments when she seems to stiffen up as severely as Kim Novak at her least secure."[19] In 1981, Down went to star in the adventure film Sphinx directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and based on the 1979 novel of the same name by Robin Cook. Down played Egyptologist researching a paper about the chief architect to Pharaoh Seti in the movie. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote: "The performers are terrible, none more so than Mr. Langella, who is supposed to be mysterious and romantic but behaves with all of the charm of a room clerk at the Nile Hilton. Miss Down spends a good deal of her time going, Eeeeeeek! and is frequently hysterical - Egyptian room service being especially maddening. At her best, she reminds one of Jacqueline Bisset, but unlike Miss Bisset, who has survived many movies like this with her identity intact, Miss Down seems to dissolve as the film lurches on. By the end, I was sure she was Jacqueline Bisset."[20][21]
In 1985, Down starred as Madeline Fabray LaMotte in the ABC miniseries, North and South based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The following year the sequel miniseries was released. The 1985 first installment, North and South, remains the seventh-highest rated miniseries in TV history.[25][26][27] For her performance she received positive reviews and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Television in 1986.[28] During the filming of the miniseries, Down's divorce from film director William Friedkin received wide press coverage. Allegations of adultery, drug use and violence accompanied Down and Friedkin's acrimonious battle for full custody of their son in the divorce proceedings.[29][30] In 1986, she returned to big screen starring alongside Pierce Brosnan in the horror film Nomads written and directed by John McTiernan.[31] In 1988 she starred in the made-for-television remake of the 1958 romantic comedy Indiscreet. The Los Angeles Times said: "The vapidity of both [lead] performances is magnified by come-hither camera shots that linger too long on their empty faces... Down has a little more flounce to the ounce, but the best she can do as a woman deceived is to fly into a deep snit. Production values evoke the silky-bland noblesse oblige that has been canonized for TV by "Dynasty" and "Knots Landing"."[32] Also that year, Down starred alongside Marilu Henner and Susan Blakely in the crime television film Ladykillers and later appeared in Night Walk (1989).
In 1996, Aaron Spelling cast her as Olivia Richards on his new daytime soap opera, Sunset Beach. Her character was the mix of Sue Ellen Ewing and Alexis Colby of the 1980s prime time soaps.[39]Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Chief among the large cast is Lesley-Anne Down, irresistible as a hooked-on-vodka matron who may or may not have murdered her lover."[40] In 1997, for her portrayal of Olivia, Down won the award for "Best Actress" at the Soap Opera Update Awards.[41] The series aired on NBC from January 1997 to December 1999. During the series, Down also appeared in the Rodney Dangerfield's comedy film Meet Wally Sparks (1997), and starred in the Young Hearts Unlimited (1998), a made-for-television family comedy film directed by third husband, Don E. FauntLeRoy.[42]
2000s—present
After the cancellation of Sunset Beach, Down appeared in films The King's Guard (2000), The Meeksville Ghost (2001) and 13th Child (2002). She starred in two Lifetime movies: The Perfect Wife (2001) and You Belong to Me (2002) based on Mary Higgins Clark's novel.[43] In 2001, she guest-starred as Lady Sheraton in the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives appearing in five episodes.[44] She had cameo appearances in Don E. FauntLeRoy-directed action films Today You Die (2005) and Mercenary for Justice (2006), both starred Steven Seagal. Down wrote screenplay and starred in the 2006 comedy-drama film Seven Days of Grace. Filming began on March 17, 1996, 10 years before the eventual 2006 release of the film.[45][46] The film was finally released to theaters on April 1, 2006. In 2003, Down was cast in another soap playing the role of Jackie Marone on The Bold and the Beautiful on CBS. She first appeared on April 1, 2003. In January 2012, Down confirmed that she would be departing the programme.[47] Her final appearance was on February 29, 2012.
In 2011, Down appeared in the thriller film Rosewood Lane directed by Victor Salva with Rose McGowan, Ray Wise, and Lauren Vélez.[48] She later starred in the horror film Dark House (2014), also directed by Victor Salva. She starred alongside Kirsten Vangsness in the period black-and-white comedy film Kill Me, Deadly playing dotty millionairess Lady Clairmont.[49] The film was released in 2015.[50] Also in 2015, Down appeared in another Steven Seagal action thriller, Absolution. The following year she appeared in the Lifetime movie I Am Watching You and played Jamie-Lynn Sigler' character mother in the Western film Justice.[51] She co-starred in the Hallmark Holiday film A Cinderella Christmas in 2016.[52] She appeared in the romantic comedy film Alex & the List in 2018 and the horror film Gates of Darkness in 2019; she co-wrote the script for the latter.[53]
In 2020, Down moved to Atlanta, bought a ranch-styled house and announced that she had retired from acting.[54] Despite this, Down returned to work playing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 2024 biographical film Reagan starring Dennis Quaid.[55]
Personal life
Lesley-Anne Down and Bruce Robinson (1979)
After ending a 10-year relationship with actor-writer Bruce Robinson,[56] Down married Enrique Gabriel in 1980, but ended their marriage after a year and a half. Her second marriage was to film director William Friedkin from 1982 to 1985, with whom she had one son.[3]
She met her third husband, cinematographerDon E. FauntLeRoy, during filming of the television miniseries North and South in 1985. Their relationship ended Down's marriage to Friedkin and Fauntleroy's marriage to Susan Ducat.[57] The resulting legal and custody proceedings interrupted the careers of both Down and Fauntleroy for two years and ultimately cost Down and Friedkin US$1 million each.[3][57] Down and Fauntleroy have a son.[57][58]
Down has spoken on several occasions about dealing with sexual predators in the film industry. In 2002, she spoke of finding fame in the late 1960s: "The casting couch was in full swing, people expected it... My teenage years were pretty intense, a lot of pressure and a lot of horrible old men out there".[59] In a 1977 interview, she had also said: "I was promised lots of lovely big film parts by American producers if I went to bed with them. Believe me, the casting couch is no myth".[60]
