Sue Lloyd

Born Susan Margery Jeaffreson Lloyd in Suffolk, England, on August 7, 1939, lovely model-turned-actress 'Sue Lloyd' (qv) was the daughter of a medical doctor. Raised in Birmingham and trained in ballet, she began studying at the Sadler's Wells School at age 11. Since her height (5'8") decreased her chances of a ballet career, the statuesque Sue instead took her dancing prowess to the stage as a chorus girl and showgirl. At one point, she belonged to 'Lionel Blair' (qv)'s dance company.After a few modeling assignments (she made the cover of Vogue magazine), the leggy, dark-haired (later blonde) actress earned ornamental bit parts in the raucous 1960's comedy films _Go to Blazes (1962)_ (qv) and _Nothing But the Best (1964)_ (qv) and broke into television as a sexy foil or tough-looking temptress in such early Brit TV series as "The Sentimental Agent," "Gideon C.I.D.," "The Saint" and "The Avengers." These spy programs propelled her into her own brief British secret agent series providing luscious eye-candy diversion as co-agent "Cordelia Winfield" opposite American star 'Steve Forrest' (qv) in the one-seasoner _The Baron (1966)_ (qv).Sue was also involved in espionage tales on film, notably _The Ipcress File (1965)_ (qv) starring 'Michael Caine' (qv) as a stylish love interest to agent Harry Palmer. Later she proved fetching making fun of the genre in the "007" parody _No. 1 of the Secret Service (1977)_ (qv) starring 'Nicky Henson' (qv) and the slapstick spy comedy _Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)_ (qv) with 'Peter Sellers' (qv) as the ever-inept Inspector Clouseau. On stage, Sue made her West End debut in 1971 with a short-lived stage version of "The Avengers," playing the role of Hannah Wild, the partner of John Steed (played by 'Simon Oates' (qv).The actress alternated between glamorous film and TV assignments for most her career, finding only a few worthy roles among the tantalizing ones usually given. Appearing in such movies as _Attack on the Iron Coast (1968)_ (qv), _Corruption (1968)_ (qv), _Where's Jack? (1969)_ (qv), _Percy (1971)_ (qv), _That's Your Funeral (1972)_ (qv), _Spanish Fly (1976)_ (qv), _The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1976)_ (qv), and _Lady Oscar (1979)_ (qv) and finding recurring roles on the TV comedy series _His and Hers (1970)_ (qv) and _The Two Ronnies (1971)_ (qv), Sue's career began to decline after a couple of 'Joan Collins' (qv)' cult vehicles _The Stud (1978)_ (qv) and _The Bitch (1979)_ (qv).Lesser seen in later years, Sue did have a recurring role in the popular 1980's TV series _Crossroads (1964)_ (qv) playing the wife of 'Ronald Allen' (qv). Their story line was dropped from the series in 1985. They were both spotted later on film in the comedy caper _Eat the Rich (1987)_ (qv). Sue married Mr. Allen in March of 1991, after he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He died a few months later. This made tabloid news as Allen had been long involved with actor 'Brian Hankins' (qv), also of _Crossroads (1964)_ (qv) fame.In later years, Sue focused on painting, which she began in the mid-1970s. She made a nostalgic appearance in the TV movie _Bullet to Beijing (1995)_ (qv), which again starred Caine as (retired) private eye Harry Palmer, and wrote her own biography "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" in 1998. Last glimpsed in the film _Beginner's Luck (2001)_ (qv), Sue herself was diagnosed with cancer and died after a lengthy illness on October 20, 2011, in London, at age 72.::Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]