Hayley Mills Bio
Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress and singer who rose to fame as a child star with The Walt Disney Company during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The daughter of acclaimed British actor Sir John Mills and actress Mary Hayley Bell, she began her acting career at the age of 12 and quickly became one of the most popular film stars in Britain. Mills earned significant recognition for her early work, receiving a BAFTA Award nomination for Most Promising Newcomer, a special Academy Juvenile Award for her performance in Pollyanna, and the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year – Actress, all within a remarkable two-year span. She continued her acting career into adulthood across film, television, and stage, later publishing her memoir Forever Young in 2021.
Early Life and Background
Hayley Mills was born in Marylebone, London, England, to Sir John Mills, one of Britain most distinguished actors, and Mary Hayley Bell, a accomplished actress and writer. Her sister is actress Juliet Mills, and her brother is writer and producer Jonathan Mills. Growing up in a family deeply embedded in the entertainment industry, Mills was exposed to acting from an early age. She received her early education at the Elmhurst Ballet School, where she trained in dance before her acting career took off.
Despite her family connections to the film industry, Mills entry into acting came somewhat unexpectedly. At just 12 years old, she was cast by director J. Lee Thompson in the British crime drama Tiger Bay (1959), which co-starred her father. Thompson had originally been searching for a boy to play the lead role but changed his mind after meeting Mills. This casting opportunity, facilitated in part by her father connections, launched what would become a remarkable career in entertainment.
Path to Acting
The success of Tiger Bay caught the attention of Bill Anderson, one of Walt Disney producers, who saw the film and immediately recognized Mills potential. He recommended her for the lead role in Pollyanna (1960), a Disney adaptation of the classic novel about an optimistic orphaned girl. The role of the orphaned glad girl who moves in with her aunt catapulted Mills to international stardom, particularly in the United States, where her performance earned her a special Academy Award of Juvenile Oscar, making her the last person to ever win that accolade.
Her success with Disney led to a long-term contract with the studio, and she appeared in six films for the company over the next several years. The transition from British cinema to Hollywood proved seamless for the young actress, who charmed audiences with her performances and distinctive British accent. During her six-year run at Disney, Mills became arguably the most popular child actress of the era, earning praise for her talent and ladylike demeanor that set her apart from other young stars of the time.
Hayley Mills Career
Early Career (1958–1960)
Mills began her professional acting career with her role in Tiger Bay (1959), a British crime drama that proved to be a commercial success in Britain. Her performance in the film was strong enough to earn her a BAFTA Award nomination for Most Promising Newcomer in 1960, marking an impressive debut for a 12-year-old actress. The film also demonstrated her ability to hold her own alongside established performers, including her famous father.
Her performance in Tiger Bay led directly to her casting in Pollyanna (1960), which became a defining moment in her young career. The Disney film was a major success and established Mills as a rising star in American cinema. Her portrayal of the cheerful and resilient orphan resonated with audiences worldwide and demonstrated her exceptional acting abilities at a young age.
Breakthrough (1960–1965)
The year 1961 proved to be a watershed moment for Mills. She starred in The Parent Trap (1961), a Disney film in which she played dual roles as twins Sharon and Susan, who work to reunite their divorced parents. The film was a significant commercial success and showcased Mills remarkable range as an actress capable of carrying a picture on her own. During filming, she performed the song Let is Get Together as a duet with herself, which became a hit around the world, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
That same year, Mills starred in Whistle Down the Wind (1961), a British-American production directed by Bryan Forbes. Based on a novel written by her mother, Mary Hayley Bell, the film was a hit at the British box office and earned Mills a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress. She was voted the biggest star in Britain for 1961, a remarkable achievement for an actress who had just turned 15. She also returned to Disney for In Search of the Castaways (1962), another successful adventure film based on a novel by Jules Verne.
Notable Works and Milestones
Throughout the early 1960s, Mills continued to be a major box-office draw, appearing in Summer Magic (1963), The Chalk Garden (1964), That Darn Cat! (1965), and The Moon-Spinners (1964). Her success extended beyond acting, as her recording of Let is Get Together became a million-selling song and led to the release of her solo album, Let is Get Together with Hayley Mills, on Disney Buena Vista label. In 1962, British exhibitors voted her the most popular film actress in the country, and she maintained her position among the top stars for several years.
Transition to Adult Roles (1966–1980)
Following her departure from Disney, Mills consciously shifted toward more mature and diverse roles. She starred in The Trouble with Angels (1966), a comedy that became a major box office hit, portraying a mischievous student at a Catholic boarding school opposite Rosalind Russell. That same year, she provided the voice of the Little Mermaid in the animated feature The Daydreamer and starred in The Family Way (1966), directed by Roy Boulting. The latter film featured a musical score by Paul McCartney with arrangements by George Martin.
Mills continued to take on varied roles throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, including Pretty Polly (1967), a romantic drama set in Singapore opposite Indian film star Shashi Kapoor, and the psychological thriller Twisted Nerve (1968). She also began performing in theatrical plays, making her West End stage debut in a 1969 revival of Peter Pan. Throughout the mid-1970s, Mills appeared in several British and international productions, including What Changed Charley Farthing? (1974), Deadly Strangers, and The Kingfisher Caper (both 1975).
Television and Later Career (1981–Present)
In 1981, Mills returned to acting with a starring role in the UK television mini-series The Flame Trees of Thika, based on Elspeth Huxley memoir of her childhood in East Africa. The series was well received and rekindled her acting career. She subsequently appeared in the Disney Channel-produced television series Good Morning, Miss Bliss in 1987 and 1988, playing the title character. The show was later reformatted into Saved by the Bell without her involvement. She also appeared in several television films, including The Parent Trap II, Parent Trap III, and Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon, reprising her iconic twin roles.
From 2007 to 2012, Mills portrayed Caroline in the ITV drama Wild at Heart, an African veterinarian series. Her sister Juliet Mills appeared as a guest star, marking the first time the sisters had appeared on screen together. In recent years, Mills has continued to act sporadically in film and television, appearing in the drama Foster (2011), the time-travel film Last Train to Christmas (2021), and Arthur Whisky (2023). In 2024, she made a notable return to mainstream American cinema with a supporting role as FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant in M. Night Shyamalan psychological thriller Trap, her first major role in a mainstream American film in nearly 60 years.
Hayley Mills Award Nominations
Throughout her career, Hayley Mills received several prestigious award nominations recognizing her exceptional talent as a young actress. In 1960, she was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in Tiger Bay. The following year, in 1961, she received a nomination for the Academy Juvenile Award for her role in Pollyanna, becoming the last recipient of this honor. She also won the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year – Actress in 1961, completing an impressive trio of recognitions that established her as one of the most promising young talents in the industry.
Hayley Mills Awards Won
Hayley Mills received numerous accolades during her distinguished career, recognizing both her early promise and her lasting contributions to entertainment. She was honored with the Disney Legends award in 1998 in recognition of her work with The Walt Disney Company. She also won a Theatre World Award in 2000 for her Off-Broadway debut in Sir Noël Coward Suite in Two Keys, demonstrating her versatility as a performer across stage and screen.
Hayley Mills Family
Hayley Mills comes from a distinguished entertainment family. Her father, Sir John Mills, was one of Britain most respected and acclaimed actors, known for his roles in films such as Great Expectations and Ryan is Daughter. Her mother, Mary Hayley Bell, was an accomplished actress and author who wrote the novel Whistle Down the Wind, which was adapted into the 1961 film starring her daughter. Her sister, Juliet Mills, is also an actress known for her work in television and film. Mills has two children, including Crispian Mills, who is the lead singer and guitarist for the raga rock band Kula Shaker.
Personal Life
Mills was married to director Roy Boulting from 1971 until their divorce in 1977. The couple met while filming The Family Way in 1966, when Mills was 20 years old and Boulting was 53. They owned a flat in London Chelsea and Cobstone Windmill in Ibstone, Buckinghamshire, which was later sold. Their son, Crispian Mills, was born during their marriage. Following her divorce from Boulting, Mills had a relationship with actor Leigh Lawson, with whom she had her second son. The couple split in the early 1980s.
During the 1980s, following her breakup with Lawson, Mills developed an interest in Eastern religions and wrote the preface to The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking in 1984. Her partner since 1997 has been actor and writer Firdous Bamji, who is 20 years her junior. They met while touring together in The King and I. In April 2008, Mills was diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently made a full recovery, which she discussed publicly in interviews. Mills published her memoir, Forever Young: A Memoir, in September 2021, reflecting on her life and career with candid insights into both her successes and challenges.