Helen Burns

Helen Burns (22 December 1916 – 23 July 2018) was a British actress born in London, England, who built a career spanning stage, film, and television across several decades. She was particularly recognized for comedic roles and remained active in the profession well into her later years, dying on 23 July 2018 at the age of 101.

Burns made her Broadway appearances between 1957 and 1978, performing in a range of productions at New York venues including the Belasco Theatre. Her Broadway credits include The First Gentleman, The Inspector General, There's One in Every Marriage, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Broken Jug, and Catsplay. Her work in Catsplay earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Play.

Beyond Broadway, Burns appeared in the 1993 London production of The Last Yankee at the Duke of York's Theatre, a performance that brought her a Laurence Olivier Award. She also starred in the 1978 Canadian film adaptation of Catsplay, and her performance earned her the Earle Grey Award for best television actor at the 8th ACTRA Awards in 1979. Her film work includes The Changeling (1980), Zorro, The Gay Blade (1981), If You Could See What I Hear (1982), and Utilities (1983). For her role in The Changeling, she received a Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 1st Genie Awards in 1980.

On television, Burns appeared in the movies Scarlett and Life After Life, and made guest appearances on series including Dr. Finlay's Casebook, Pulaski, The Big One, and Mr. Bean.

On 8 July 1948, Burns married theatre director Michael Langham, who served as head of both the Stratford Festival and the Juilliard School. She was the mother of actor and writer Chris Langham.