John Mills Biography

Fast Facts

• Made his professional acting debut at the London Hippodrome in The Five O'Clock Girl in 1929
• Enlisted in the British Army in the Royal Engineers (later commissioned as a Second Lieutenant) but medically discharged in 1942 for a stomach ulcer
• Made his acting career playing traditionally British heroes, such as Scott of the Antarctic in 1948, and became associated with war drama including The Colditz Story in 1954 and Above Us The Waves in 1955
• Often acted alongside his daughters, Juliet and Hayley; all three appeared together in a 1979 episode of The Love Boat
• Was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1960, in addition to being knighted by the Queen in 1976
• Released a documentary film in 2000 entitled Sir John Mills' Moving Memories, containing extensive home footage and interviews with the family
• Named a Disney legend by the Walt Disney Company in 2002