Twiggy

The original supermodel waif who acquired her name for her stick-like figure (a radical departure from the curvaceous ideals of previous generations), 'Twiggy' (nee Leslie Hornby) burst upon the fashion scene and revolutionized it as a teenage icon of the "swinging 60s." Though the world will never forget her larger-than-life beginnings, she modeled a mere four years (and never walked a runway) before forsaking the industry to enjoy a respectable career in film, TV and the theater, although she did come out of retirement and allow herself to be photographed by the likes of John Fwanel and Annie Liebovitz during the 90s. When director Ken Russell asked her to star in his 1971 film version of "The Boy Friend", she replied, " ... I can't act, I can't sing and I can't dance." Advised by him to "get yourself off to class," she made a charming debut in his typically strange but highly enjoyable adaptation of Sandy Wilson's spoof of 1920s musicals, saying later: "I owe him an incredible debt; I probably would just have gone on modeling."

Twiggy's second feature, the thriller "W" (1974) paired her with future husband Michael Witney, and she later appeared in a small role in "The Blues Brothers" (1980) and played a would-be singer in "Madame Sousatzka" (1988, opposite second husband Leigh Lawson), among her other pictures. Though she worked in TV both at home in England and on CBS' short-lived sitcom, "Princesses" (1991), she has made her biggest impact on stage, beginning with her West End debut as "Cinderella" in 1974. In 1983 she reunited with her "Boy Friend" co-star Tommy Tune who was co-directing and starring in Broadway's "My One and Only", a reworking of the 1920s Gershwin classic "Funny Face". Acting in a 1997 London revival of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" was the first step on the way to playing what may turn out to be a defining role of her career, that of Coward's platonic flame and frequent co-star Gertrude Lawrence. Of Lawrence, Agnes de Mille once said, "She can't sing, but who cares?", and Twiggy brought the same kind of star presence to her off-Broadway turn in "If Love Were All", a musical telling of the famous friendship to the accompaniment of 20 Coward songs.

• Also Credited As:
  Leslie Hornby, Leslie Hornsby, Twiggy Hanson, Twiggy Lawson
• Born:
  September 19, 1949 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Singer, Model, Hairdresser s assistant

Family

• Daughter: Carly Witney. born on December 1, 1978; father, Michael Witney; studying animation at a university in Scotland c. 1999
• Father: William Norman Hornby.
• Mother: Helen Hornby.
• Sister: Shirley Hornby.
• Sister: Vivian Hornby.
• Step-son: Jason Lawson. born c. 1976

Significant Others

• Companion: Justin de Villeneuve. introduced by his brother Tony with whom she worked; born c. 1939; together in the 1960s when he managed her career until c. 1972; gave her famous nickname of Twiggy , which evolved from brother Tony calling her Sticks

Education

• Kilburn High School for Girls

Milestones

• 1967 Mattel issued a Twiggy Barbie
• 1971 Film debut as an extra in Ken Russell s The Devils
• 1971 First leading role in features as Polly in Ken Russell s adaptation of Sandy Wilson s pastiche of 1920s musicals The Boy Friend ; initial collaboration with Tommy Tune
• 1974 Made West End stage debut in Cinderella
• 1974 Made second feature, the thriller W/I Want Her Dead ; co-starred with future husband Michael Whitney
• 1980 Made cameo appearance in The Blues Brothers
• 1981 Starred as Eliza Doolittle opposite Robert Powell in Yorkshire TV production of Pygmalion
• 1983 Broadway debut in the musical, My One and Only , starring and co-staged by Tune; earned a Tony nomination
• 1987 Played a vaudeville performer in the British TV special The Little Match Girl
• 1988 Had supporting role in Madame Sousatzka , opposite second husband Leigh Lawson
• 1991 Co-starred in the ill-fated CBS sitcom Princesses
• 1997 Acted in London stage revival of Noel Coward s Blithe Spirit
• 1998 Played Gertrude Lawrence in the biographical stage musical Noel and Gertie at the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, Long Island
• 1999 Returned to New York stage as Lawrence in Off-Broadway production If Love Were All , a revised version of Noel and Gertie , directed by Lawson; what set this edition apart were its tap numbers in period style; starred opposite Harry Groener as Coward
• 2001 Co-hosted the English magazine program This Morning
• Appeared in several West End shows including Captain Beaky Presents and Funny Face ; also toured in Funny Face
• Became a top fashion model in the 1960s
• Cast as Hannah Chaplin, mother to Charles, in the British TV-movie Young Charlie Chaplin ; aired in US on PBS Wonderworks in 1989
• Hosted own British TV series, Twigs and Twiggy and Friends
• Originally nicknamed Sticks because of her figure; later changed to Twigs and then Twiggy
• Raised in Neasden, England