Beatrice Lillie

Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Lillie, as photographed by Yousuf Karsh, 1948
Born	Beatrice Gladys Lillie (1894-05-29)29 May 1894 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died	20 January 1989(1989-01-20) (aged 94) Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England
Occupation(s)	Stage and film actress, singer and comedic performer
Spouse	Sir Robert Peel, 5th Baronet ​ ​ (m. 1920; died 1934)​
Children	1

Beatrice Gladys Lillie, Lady Peel (29 May 1894 – 20 January 1989), known as Bea Lillie, was a Canadian-born British actress, singer and comedic performer.

She began to perform as a child with her mother and sister. She made her West End debut in 1914 and soon gained notice in revues and light comedies, becoming known for her parodies of old-fashioned, flowery performing styles and absurd songs and sketches. She debuted in New York in 1924 and two years later starred in her first film, continuing to perform in both the US and UK. She was associated with revues staged by André Charlot and works of Noël Coward and Cole Porter, and frequently was paired with Gertrude Lawrence, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley.

During World War II, Lillie was an inveterate entertainer of the troops. She won a Tony Award in 1953 for her revue An Evening with Beatrice Lillie.