Primarily known for her exceptional stage performances, Irene Worth (Harriett Elizabeth Abrams) left a trail of notable roles that set her aside as one of the leading stars in American and British theater. Before her 2001 retirement and eventual death the next year, she worked with notable companies, including the Old Vic, Royal Shakespeare Company, and Broadway. Away from the theater, Worth also made occasional film appearances, including her role in Orders to Kill (1958) which earned her the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress.
In a career spanning over five decades, Irene Worth bagged three Tony Awards for her stage performances. She was also awarded an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to drama in 1975. Worth remained active on stage until her mid-80s.
Early Life of Irene Worth
Named Harriett Elizabeth Abrams at birth, Irene Worth was born on June 23, 1916, in Fairbury, Nebraska. An American by nationality, Worth’s parents, Heinrich “Henry” Abrams and Agnes (née Thiessen) Abrams were Mennonites who worked as teachers. Worth had two siblings who grew up with her in Reedley, California, where the family moved to in 1920. There, Worth attended Newport Harbor High School and Santa Ana Junior College. She later graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
Irene Worth followed her parents’ career path and became a teacher. However, she spent her spare time pursuing an acting career which would soon become her full-time career. In 1942, the actress changed her name to Irene Worth for professional reasons, just in time for her stage debut.
Irene Worth Began Professional Acting in 1943
Irene Worth’s career began on Broadway in 1943 with a performance in The Two Mrs Carrolls in 1943. The role put her on the same stage with the legendary Elisabeth Bergner who convinced Worth to move to London which she considered to be the center of the English-speaking theatre. Upon moving to London, Worth began honing her skills at the Old Vic in 1944 and joined the company in 1951. Some of her notable roles at the time include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Portia in The Merchant of Venice. She also played her first Lady Macbeth role at Old Vic. Worth was one of the leading ladies who joined the Old Vic tour in South Africa.
After several years of working under different theater platforms in the 1950s, including the emerging Shakespeare Festival, Irene Worth joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962 and delivered some of her most acclaimed performances at the Aldwych Theatre. She also performed at the National Theatre, The National Radio Theater, the Almeida Theatre, and the Greenwich Theatre before her final bow. Beyond her glittering career in the theater, Worth made a few notable appearances in films. She debuted on the big screen in the 1948 films – One Night with You and Another Shore. Worth went on to appear in more films such as Orders to Kill (1958), Seven Seas to Calais (1962), King Lear (1971), Deathtrap (1982), Fast Forward (1985), Lost in Yonkers (1993), and her final film role in Onegin (1999).
Awards and Recognition
Irene Worth won her first Tony Award in 1965, as Best Actress (Dramatic) for her role in Tiny Alice. In 1976, she received another Tony Award for Best Actress (Play) for her performance in a revival of Sweet Bird of Youth. Her third Tony Award came in 1991, as Best Actress (Featured Role – Play) for Lost in Yonkers. She reprised the role on screen in the movie version of Lost in Yonkers (1993). Aside from her wins, Worth also received two Tony Award nominations in 1960, as Best Actress (Dramatic) for Toys in the Attic, and in 1977, as Best Actress (Play) for The Cherry Orchard.
In addition to the foregoing, Irene Worth received the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Guest Artist for her performance in Sweet Bird of Youth. She received the award in 1975 at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. In 1958, she scooped the British Film Academy Award for Best British Actress for her depiction of Léonie in Orders to Kill. In honor of her eminent career, Irene Worth was inducted into the New York Hall of Fame and the London Hall of Fame. She also bagged some honorary doctorates from Tufts University and Queens College of the City University of New York. In 1975, Worth became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Irene Worth Died At The Age Of 85
On March 10, 2002, the world of theater lost a legend when Irene Worth was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital, New York. The stage icon was 85 years old at the time of her death which was caused by a stroke. She previously had a stroke in 1999 just before her performance on a Broadway revival of Anouilh’s Ring Round the Moon, canceling her appearance in the production. Worth’s memorial was held at the Public Theater in New York City with tributes from notable speakers such as Christopher Walken, Mercedes Ruehl, Meryl Streep, and Alan Rickman.
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