Trivia

Met her husband Robert Muller at a party given by Bob Monkhouse. She said it had been a very calm, very quiet understanding of the fact that this was the man who would be the father of her child. And she added she hadn't doubted it for a second.

Samuel Beckett referred to her as "The perfect actress".

When her son Matthew (born 1968) was five years old, he developed an appalling form of meningitis. The doctors gave him three days to live, but miraculously he pulled through. However, it took about two years for him to get entirely well again.

Billie is a member of the Society of Friends.

Her son's apartment was used as a location in Shaun of the Dead (2004). As he had probably seen the film and enjoyed it, he encouraged his mother to be a part of Hot Fuzz (2007) by Pegg/Wright.

She was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to drama.

Her second husband was the playwright, drama critic and occasional screenwriter Robert Muller (now deceased). They had one son, Matthew Muller. born 1967.

Graduated from Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

She spent the last four years of her life living living at Denville Hall, a retirement home for theatrical professionals, in Northwood, London.

Associate Member of Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Made her acting debut on radio at the age of eleven, playing the boy detective Henry Bones on BBC's "Children's Hour". She first appeared on stage at the Bradford Civic Playhouse in 1950 in "Pink String and Sealing Wax".

Commutes between her apartment in London-Hampstead and her cottage in Suffolk.

Had dubbed Paola Mori's role in Orson Welles's Confidential Report (1955).

Gave up smoking in 1975.

She was replaced by Sylvia Syms in The Punch and Judy Man.

Has two stepdaughters (both her husband Robert's children by his first marriage): Clare (born 1962) and Sophie (born 1964)

Was a member of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1970.

When she was in Children's Hour on BBC's North Country Children's Hour she was playing little boy's parts at 10 and 6 per day.

Her first West End play was Hotel Paradiso with Alec Guinness, Martita Hunt and Kenneth Williams.

She had a married sister.