Heather Ripley is a Scottish former actress. She is best known for the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), in which she played Jemima Potts.
Heather Ripley | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Known for | Playing Jemima Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang |
Early life edit
Ripley was raised in Broughty Ferry, outside of Dundee, Scotland.[1] Her father and grandfather owned an opticians' business, and her mother worked as a wardrobe mistress at Dundee Rep.[1] Ripley would accompany her mother to rehearsals and replaced a young actress in the play Roar Like a Dove one week before it opened, which gained the notice of a talent scout.[1] Six months before filming began for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, she travelled to London with her parents to audition for the role of Jemima Potts.[1] It was the first film for the two child stars, Ripley and Adrian Hall, who were cast after an extensive talent search.[2]
Ripley took lessons to change her accent for the film,[3] and later recalled: "They thought I was perfect for the part, apart from the accent. But they said that wasn't a problem as they'd get rid of it. I thought that sounded a bit ominous. What did they mean? Brain surgery?”[1] Accompanied by her mother, Ripley was away from her Dundee home for 14 months for the filming of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.[1]
Later years edit
After making Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Ripley continued to audition for roles and eventually left the film industry.[1][3][4] Her earnings from the film were held in trust until her 18th birthday, but she later recalled "After 10 years of it being invested, it was only about £7,000".[1] She returned to Dundee, where she later joined the family optician business.[1] Ripley also became involved in anti-nuclear activism and campaigns for the environment.[1][3][5]
Ripley participated in the 1999 documentary After They Were Famous: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.[6] She attended the London premiere of the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium in 2002.[3] In 2004, she made a brief appearance in the independent film The Interview which was screened at that year's Edinburgh Film Festival.[4] In 2004, she was interviewed with members of the original cast on ITV1 on Christmas Eve.[7]
She was a guest at the Broadway premiere of the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Hilton Theatre in 2005.[8] In 2016, Ripley was a volunteer worker at the Lagadikia refugee camp outside Thessaloniki in Greece which provided food, clothing and support to about 875 people.[9] In 2020, she voiced the character Babs in the independent-made short animation Lavatory of Terror,[5] telephoning her lines in via her smartphone.[10]
Filmography edit
Films edit
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) - Jemima Potts[6]
Television edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Garfield, Simon. "After the big Bang Bang...", The Guardian, 24 February 2002
- ^ Fuller, Stephanie. "2 Young Thespians Truly Scrumptious", Chicago Tribune, 22 December 1968: f14.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Laura. "The dream of fame that fell apart", London Evening Standard, 7 April 2002
- ^ a b Farquharson, Kenny. "My escape from the child catcher: The child star of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tells Kenny Farquharson how she has finally put the film behind her", The Times, 2 January 2005 (subscription required)
- ^ a b Fairburn, Robert. "Forgotten child star of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is lured back by loo role", The Times, 15 January 2020 (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d Filmography of Heather Ripley, British Film Institute Database
- ^ "Happy Return", The Daily Telegraph, 18 December 2004 (subscription required)
- ^ Heather Ripley, broadwayworld.com (2005)
- ^ Paterson, Kirsteen. "Child film star turned activist Heather Ripley shine a light on conditions in Greek refugee camp", The National 31 May 2016
- ^ Knox, David. "Chitty Bang Bang star lured out of retirement by Langlee film-makers", The Border Telegraph, 15 January 2020