Cilento, Diane (1933–)

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Cilento, Diane (1933–)

Australian-born actress and novelist. Born Oct 5, 1933, in Brisbane, Australia; dau. of Sir Ralph West Cilento (authority on tropical medicine) and Lady Phyllis McGlew Cilento (gynecologist); m. Sean Connery (actor), 1962 (div. 1973); m. Anthony Shaffer (playwright), 1985 (died 2001); children: Jason Connery (actor).

Made screen debut in Wings of Danger (1952), followed by The Admirable Crichton, The Truth about Women, Jet Storm, The Naked Edge, Rattle of a Simple Man, The Agony and the Ecstasy, Hombre, Hitler: The Last 10 Days, Duet for Four and The Boy Who Had Everything, among others; made stage debut in Manchester as Juliet (1953); other plays include The Big Knife, Tiger at the Gates, Less Than Kind, Orpheus Descending, Heartbreak House, Altona, Naked, The Idiot, Collaborators and the title role in Miss Julie; wrote the novels The Manipulator and The Hybrid. Nominated for Oscar for performance in Tom Jones (1963).