Brenda Forbes

Brenda Forbes (January 14, 1909 – September 11, 1996) was a British-born American actress who worked in stage and screen for more than six decades. Born Dorothy Brenda Taylor in Wandsworth, London, she was the daughter of Ernest John and Ethel Louise Taylor. Her mother was actress Mary Forbes, and her elder brother was actor Ralph Forbes, born Ralph Forbes Taylor. She appeared on Broadway between 1931 and 1985, with her work concentrated largely in revivals of classic plays.

Forbes originated the role of Wilson, an outspoken maid, in the original production of The Barretts of Wimpole Street opposite Katharine Cornell, and she returned to the role in multiple revivals of that production. Among her other Broadway credits were Suds in Your Eye, The Constant Wife, and My Fair Ladies. In 1967, she co-starred as Lady Vale in the musical Darling of the Day alongside Peter Woodthorpe, with the two introducing the song "Panache" in that production. Her performance earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play that same year. She appeared in the 1976 revival of My Fair Lady as Mrs. Higgins, a production that also featured George Rose, with whom she later co-starred in the 1986 all-star cast revival of Aren't We All?

Forbes made her first film appearance in 1935 in The Imperfect Lady and went on to appear in Mrs. Miniver in 1942. Her screen work spanned roughly fifty years, concluding with a small role in The Jerky Boys: The Movie in 1995. She was married to Merrill Shepard from 1947 until his death in 1986; the couple had no children. Forbes died of cancer in New York City in 1996 at the age of 87.