Person Biography:
Ann Firbank, a talented and prolific character actress, was born in Secunderabad, British India. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1954 and made her acting debut at Her Majesty's Theatre in Carlisle the same year. With a career spanning over six decades, Firbank has performed in numerous classic plays on most of England's great stages, including the Royal Court Theatre, the National Theatre, the London Old Vic, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and the Royal Exchange Theatre.
Firbank's screen credits include iconic roles such as Staff Nurse Helen Lloyd in the classic farce Carry on Nurse (1959) and Anne Elliot in Granada TV's 1971 adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Persuasion (1971). She has also made notable appearances in period dramas, including Kenilworth (1957),The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955),Lillie (1978),The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982),A Passage to India (1984),and Lady Anne Boleyn in the 2005 TV movie.
In recent years, Firbank has portrayed a Tatooine elder in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and the elven oracle Ithlinne in The Witcher (2019). She has also acted in dozens of TV shows as a guest star, frequently in crime/mystery programs. Firbank's performance as Rebecca Nurse in Arthur Miller's The Crucible (2014) at the Old Vic was widely acclaimed.
Throughout her illustrious career, Firbank has demonstrated her ageless stage presence, most recently in a production of The Golden Dragon in Bangalore, India, as late as 2012. Her versatility, range, and dedication to her craft have made her a beloved and respected figure in the world of entertainment.