Actress. Born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer, on September 30, 1921, in Helensburgh, Scotland. She was the first child born to Colleen and Arthur Kerr-Trimmer, a civil engineer who died when Kerr was 15. As a child, she expressed an interest in drama, often performing in local productions with her younger brother Teddy. She enrolled in England’s Phyllis Smale School and concentrated on ballet. Kerr soon abandoned a professional dance career when she realized that her height (she was 5’6’’) would limit her ability. At age 17, she directed her efforts toward acting and made a number of stage appearances in Shakespearean plays. During one of her repertory productions, Kerr’s acting was recognized by film director Richard Atkins, who was so impressed with her performance that he offered her a five-year film contract. In 1940, she landed her first starring role in the film adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s novel Major Barbara, which was applauded by both critics and audiences. In Kerr’s next film, Love on the Dole, she received top billing and rave reviews for her portrayal of a poverty-stricken character. She was cast in Penn of Pennsylvania (1941), and as the female lead in both Hatter’s Castle and The Day Will Dawn (1942). In 1943, she was offered the starring role in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, which required that she play three different characters spanning three generations. Kerr seized the challenging role with a remarkable performance that garnered the attention of MGM Studios in Hollywood.

As contract negotiations with MGM began, Kerr met Anthony Bartley, whom she married in 1945. Immediately following her marriage, she was cast in the film adaptation of Rumer Godden’s novel Black Narcissus (1947). The film, set in the vast Himalayas, was considered a cinematographic masterpiece. Kerr’s performance as Sister Superior was also considered a fine accomplishment, and she was awarded the New York Film Critics Award for Best Actress.

In 1946, Kerr and her husband ventured to Hollywood, where she was to star opposite Clark Gable in the eagerly awaited The Hucksters (1947). She followed the film’s success with If Winter Comes (1948), which featured virtually an entire British cast. With her next role, opposite Spencer Tracy in Edward My Son (1949), Kerr captured her first Academy Award nomination.