Actress. She was best known for playing the character roles of benevolent or aristocratic ladies including dames, queens, ladies, aunts, countesses, grandmothers, wives, and baronesses, in both silent films and sound films. She will be best remembered for playing the role of 'Mrs. Jordan' in the classic crime mystery thriller film, "The 39 Steps" (1935). The film which was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, which was adapted from the novel by John Buchan, which was written for the screen by Charles Bennett and Ian Hay, and which also starred Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle, and Peggy Ashcroft, tells the story of a man in London, England, who tries to help a counter-espionage agent, but when the agent is killed and the man stands accused, he must go on the run to save himself and stop a spy ring that is trying to steal top-secret information. She is also best remembered for playing the role of 'Lady Catherine de Bourgh' in the television mini-series, "Pride And Prejudice" (1952), which is based on the novel by Jane Austen, and which also starred Thea Holme, Daphne Slater, and Peter Cushing. She was born in Assam, India, on August 28, 1874. She was educated locally and began her acting career on the stage in several stage productions of such plays as, "Henry V" (1906-1907), "A Midsummer's Night Dream" (1906-1907), as 'Princess of France' in "Love's Labour Lost" (1907), as 'Lady Sneerwell' in "The School For Scandal" (1907), as 'Olivia' in "Twelfth Night" (1907), as 'Antonia' in "Don Quixote" (1907), as 'Queen' in Richard II" (1907), as 'Queen Isabel' in "Henry V" (1907, 1908), as 'Celia' in "As You Like It" (1907, 1908), as 'Mrs. Page' in "The Merry Wives Of Windsor" (1908, 1909), as 'Alithia' in "The Country Girl" (1907, 1908), as 'Paulina' in "The Winter's Tale" (1908), as 'Hermia' in "A Midsummer's Night Dream" (1908), as 'Lady Capulet' in 'Romeo And Juliet" (1908), as 'Calphurnia' in "Julius Caesar" (1909), as 'Mrs. Rackett' in "The Belle's Stratagem" (1909), as 'Virgilia' in "Coriolanus" (1907, 1909), as 'Lady Locherbie' in "A Midnight Bridal" (1909), as 'Gertrude' in "Hamlet" (1907, 1909, 1910), as 'Queen' in "Cymbeline" (1909), as 'Queen Elizabeth' in "Richard III" (1909), as 'Eleanor' in "Henry VI" (1909), "Twelfth Night" (1909-1910), "The Critic" (1910-1911), "All That Matters" (1910-1911), "Hedda Gabler" (1910-1911), "Kipps (The Story Of A Simple Soul" (March 6, 1912, to April 20, 1912), "Marie Odile" (1914-1915), as 'Lady Boyd' in "Wild Heather" (1917), "The Race With The Shadow" (1920-1921), "Love For Love" (1920-1921), "The Fake" (March 13, 1924, to September 13, 1924), "Merely Molly" (1926-1927), "Desperate Lovers" (1927), as 'Mrs. Webster' in "Baby Cyclone" (April 10, 1928, to April 30, 1928), "After All" (1929), as 'Margaret Maitland' in "Through The Veil" (January 13, 1930, to February 15, 1930), as 'Mrs. Thomas' in "After All" (March 30, 1930, to April 6, 1930), as 'Mrs. Boucicault' in "Let Us Be Gay" (August 4, 1930, to December 13, 1930), as 'La Marechale De France' in "The Dubarry" (1932), as 'Duchess Of Rugby' in "Dear Madam, Unless" (November 27, 1933, to December 1, 1933), as 'Lady Harben' in "Golden Arrow" (1935), "The School For Scandal" (1935-1936), "Richard III" (1935-1936, 1936-1937), "O Mistress Mine" (1936-1937), "Night Sky" (January 6, 1937, to January 16, 1937), "Juggernaught" (1938-1939), as 'Lady Villiers' in "Only Yesterday" (May 25, 1939, to August 26, 1939), as 'Belle Schlessinger' in "Dear Octopus" (October 9, 1939, to January 27, 1940), as 'Mrs. Packett' in "The Nutmeg Tree" (October 9, 1941, to May 30, 1942), as 'Mme Dupont' in "Damaged Goods" (May 6, 1943, to May 15, 1943), as 'Miss ffoliott-ffoulkes' in "Murder On The Nile" (March 19, 1946, to May 1946), as 'Mrs. Grenfell' in "Return To Tyassi" (November 29, 1950, to December 23, 1950), as 'Mme Renaud' in "The Traveller Without Luggage" *September 3, 1951, to September 22, 1951), as 'Madame Desmermortes' in "Ring Round The Moon" (March 31, 1952, to June 7, 1952), as 'Madame Raquin' in "The Lovers" (February 21, 1955, to May 21, 1955), as 'Madame de Lere' in "The Count Of Clerambard" (1955), "Lilacs In The Spring" (1955-1956), and as 'Linda Wetherby" in Someone To Talk To" (July 18, 1956, to July 21, 1956). During her stage career in England she worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and appeared at His Majesty's Theatre (now Her Majesty's Theatre) in London, England, Prince's Theatre in Bristol, England, Criterion Theatre in Westminster, London, England, Grand Theatre in Southampton, England, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, Theatre Royal in Haymarket, London, England, Duchess Theatre in London, England, Garrick Theatre in London, England, Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, Duke Of York's Theatre, The Playhouse Theatre in London, England, the Old Vic in London, England, Theatre Royal in Windsor, England, Strand Theatre in London, England (now the Novello Theatre), Royal Court Theatre in London, England, and Kingsway Theatre in London, England, among many others. She also appeared on Broadway in New York City, New York, in several stage productions including in such plays as, as 'Mrs. Gunhild Borkman' in "John Gabriel Borkman" (January 29, 1926, to February 1926), as 'Isabelle Leroy-Gomez' in "The Sex Fable" (October 20, 1931, to November 1931), and as 'Mrs. Thomas' in "After All" (November 03, 1931, to November 1931). During her time on the stage, she also made the transition to film and eventually to television in both England and the United States. She made her actual film debut playing the role of 'Mrs. Foretescue' in the crime film drama, "Honour In Pawn" (1916). The film which was directed by Harold Weston, which was based on the novel by William Babington Maxwell, and which also starred Manora Thew, Julian Royce, Ivan Berlyn, Hetta Bartlett, Marjorie Compton, and George Bellamy, tells the story of a crooked dealer who adopts a girl thief and forces her to steal a knight's plate. Besides, playing the role of 'Mrs. Foretescue' in the crime film drama, "Honour In Pawn" (1916), and playing the role of 'Mrs. Jordan' in the classic crime mystery thriller film, "The 39 Steps" (1935), her many other film credits include, "Masks And Faces" (1917), "Not Negotiable" (1918), "His Last Defence" (1919), "Bleak House" (1920), "The Skin Game" (1921), "Tilly Of Bloomsbury" (1921), "Atlantic" (1929), "Knowing Men" (1930), "The Brat" (1930), "Beyond The Cities" (1930), "The Skin Game" (1931), "Brown Sugar" (1931), "The Officers' Mess" (1931), "Monte Carlo Madness" (1932), "Congress Dances" (1932), "Her First Affaire" (1932), "It's A Boy" (1933), "The Week Of Grace" (1933), "Money Mad" (1934), "Crazy People" (1934), "Loves Of A Dictator" (1935), "Drake The Pirate" (1935), "Tranatlantic Tunnel" (1935), "The Loves Of Madame Dubarry" (1935), "Wolf's Clothing" (1936), "The Interrupted Honeymoon" (1936), "Everybody Dance" (1936), "Wings Of The Morning" (1937), "Cotton Queen" (1937), "The Girl In The Taxi" (1937), "The Case Of The Frightened Lady" (1938), "Sidewalks Of London" (1938), "A Break In The Journey" (1938), "The Dark Lady Of The Sonnets" (1939), "A Girl Must Live" (1939), "Remember When" (1939), "Fox In The Morning" (1939), "The Spy In Black" (1939), "The Frightened Lady" (1940), "The Remarkable Mr. Kipps" (1941), "The Man In Grey" (1943), "Dear Octopus" (1943), "Man Of Evil" (1944), "Madonna Of The Seven Moons" (1945), "A Place Of One's Own" (1945), "A Hundred Years Old" (1946), "Martine" (1947), "The Cradle Song" (1947), "Mine Over Executioner" (1947), "Mrs. Fitzherbert" (1947), "A Hundred Years Old" (1948), "Anna Karenina" (1948), "Third Time Lucky" (1949), "The Silver Cord" (1949), "Conspirator" (1949), "The Angel With The Trumpet" (1950), "Triple Bill" (1950), "Treasures In Heaven" (1950), "And No Birds Sing" (1951), "Heidi" (1953), "Dear Octopus" (1953), "Front Page Story" (1954), "Hobson's Choice" (1954), "The Secret Way" (1954), "A Hundred Years Old" (1954), "Let's Make Up" (1954), "Richard III" (1955), "The Alien Sky" (1956), "Teenage Bad Girl" (1956), and "Action Of The Tiger" (1957). Besides, playing the role of 'Lady Catherine de Bourgh' in the television mini-series, "Pride And Prejudice" (1952), which is based on the novel by Jane Austen, and which also starred Thea Holme, Daphne Slater, and Peter Cushing, her other many other television credits include, "ITV Television Playhouse," "BBC Sunday-Night Theatre," "ITV Play Of The Week," and "Overseas Press Club - Exclusive!" Her last film role was playing 'Lady Caroline Ayrton' in the historical romance film drama, "The Gypsy And The Gentleman" (1958). The film which was directed by Joseph Losey, which was based on the novel, "Darkness I Love You," by Nina Warner Hooks, which was written for the screen by Janet Green, and which also starred Melina Mercouri, Keith Michell, and Flora Robson, tells the story of Belle who is a tempestuous gypsy girl who is after Sir Paul Deverill. Her plan is to marry him and take him for every cent he has before moving on to other lovers. The film was released the following year after her death. She passed away in London, England, on September 1, 1957, four days after her 83rd birthday, and she was buried in East Finchley Cemetery and Crematorium in East Finchley, England. She was married to Ernest Attenborough from 1898 until his death on November 26, 1939. The couple had two children together. She should not be confused with the actress Helen Hayes (1900-1993), who also had a lengthy career on the stage, in film, and on television.