Lynne Frederick

Lynne Frederick
Portrait by Terry Fincher, c. 1974
Born	(1954-07-25)25 July 1954[1][2] Hillingdon, Middlesex, England
Died	27 April 1994(1994-04-27) (aged 39)[1] Los Angeles, California
Resting place	Golders Green Crematorium
Other names	Lynne Sellers (legal married name)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1969–1979
Known for	The Amazing Mr. Blunden Henry VIII and His Six Wives Voyage of the Damned Vampire Circus Phase IV Nicholas and Alexandra A Long Return
Spouses	Peter Sellers ​ ​ (m. 1977; died 1980)​ David Frost ​ ​ (m. 1981; div. 1982)​ Barry Unger ​ ​ (m. 1982; div. 1991)​
Partner	Julian Posner (1972–1975)
Children	1

Lynne Frederick (25 July 1954 – 27 April 1994) was an English actress. In a career spanning ten years, she made over thirty appearances in film and television productions. She often played the girl next door and performed in a range of genres, from contemporary science fiction to slasher horror, romantic dramas, classic westerns, and occasional comedies, although her greater successes were in period films and costume dramas.

In 1980, after the death of her husband, Peter Sellers, she came to national attention over the nature of his controversial will, in which she was listed as the primary beneficiary. She was publicly criticised, ridiculed and perceived as a gold digger by the press and public. Her career and reputation never recovered from the backlash and she was subsequently blacklisted by Hollywood. She lived out the remainder of her years in California, and kept a low profile until her death in 1994.

In the decades since her death, Frederick has steadily established a posthumous cult following for her collection of work in motion pictures and television. Some of her better known performances include her roles in films such as Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972), Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), and Voyage of the Damned (1976). Other films of hers such as Vampire Circus (1971), Phase IV (1974), Four of the Apocalypse (1975), A Long Return (Largo retorno) (1975), and Schizo (1976) have all become underground hits or established a status as a cult film in their respective genres, contributing to the renewed interest in her life and career.

She was the first recipient of the award for Best New Coming Actress from the Evening Standard British Film Awards in 1973, for her performances in Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972) and The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972). She is one of only eight actresses, and the youngest, to hold this title.