Acting credits
102
Prolific
Very extensive acting filmography.
Actor
Elsa Lanchester
Acting
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
1.6
Low visibility
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Movies: 74Series: 28
TMDB ID: 2926
IMDb ID: nm0006471
Known for: Acting
Born: October 28, 1902
Died: December 26, 1986
Age: 84
Place of birth: Lewisham, London, England, UK
Gender: Female
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1924 - 2025
Years active: 102
Average TMDB rating: 6.65
Wikidata: Q233009
Also known as
Elsa Sullivan Lanchester • Elizabeth Lanchester Sullivan
Biography
Elsa Sullivan Lanchester (October 28, 1902 – December 26, 1986) was a British actress with a long career in theatre, film and television and former dancer. Lanchester studied dance as a child and after the First World War began performing in theatre and cabaret, where she established her career over the following decade. She met the actor Charles Laughton in 1927, and they were married two years later. She began playing small roles in British films, including the role of Anne of Cleves with Laughton in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933). Laughton's success in American films resulted in the couple moving to Hollywood, where Lanchester played small film roles. Her role as the bride in Bride of Frankenstein (1935), brought her recognition, and came to be one of the roles most closely associated with her throughout her life. Lanchester played supporting roles through the 1940s and 1950s. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Come to the Stable (1949) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957), the last of twelve films in which she appeared with Laughton. Following Laughton's death in 1962, Lanchester resumed her career with appearances in such Disney films as Mary Poppins (1964), That Darn Cat! (1965) and Blackbeard's Ghost (1968). The horror film, Willard, (1971) was highly successful and one of her last roles was in Murder By Death (1976).
Photos
Movies
Movies
Movie credits linked with Elsa Lanchester.
Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies
as Self - (archive footage)
2025 Movie
6.0
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
as Self (archive footage)
2018 Movie
7.5
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
as Mary Shelley / The Monster's Mate (archive footage)
2014 Movie
9.0
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
as Self (archive footage)
2007 Movie
6.8
The American Nightmare
as Self
2000 Movie
7.1
Universal Horror
as (archive footage)
1998 Movie
Turnabout: The Story of the Yale Puppeteers
as Self
1993 Movie
8.5
Commercial Entertainment Product
as The Monster's Bride
1992 Movie
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988 Movie
6.5
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983 Movie
4.3
Die Laughing
as Sophie
1980 Movie
7.2
Murder by Death
as Jessica Marbles
1976 Movie
5.1
Arnold
as Hester
1973 Movie
5.1
Terror in the Wax Museum
as Julia Hawthorn
1973 Movie
6.1
Willard
as Henrietta Stiles
1971 Movie
In Name Only
as Gertrude Caruso
1969 Movie
6.7
My Dog, the Thief
as Mrs. Formby
1969 Movie
5.5
Me, Natalie
as Miss Dennison
1969 Movie
5.8
Rascal
as Mrs. Satterfield
1969 Movie
6.7
Blackbeard's Ghost
as Emily Stowecroft
1968 Movie
5.3
Mondo Hollywood
1967 Movie
5.9
Easy Come, Easy Go
as Madame Neherina
1967 Movie
6.6
That Darn Cat!
as Mrs. MacDougall
1965 Movie
7.6
Mary Poppins
as Katie Nanna
1964 Movie
Series
Series
Series credits linked with Elsa Lanchester.
7.8
Night Gallery
1 eps
1970 Series
6.0
Nanny and the Professor
as Aunt Henrietta • 3 eps
1970 Series
4.8
Then Came Bronson
as Hattie Calter • 1 eps
1969 Series
5.4
The Bill Cosby Show
as Mrs. Wochuk • 2 eps
1969 Series
6.7
Here's Lucy
as Mumsie Westcott • 1 eps
1968 Series
6.8
The Dick Cavett Show
as Self - Guest • 2 eps
1968 Series
6.7
Mannix
as Portia Penhaven • 1 eps
1967 Series
7.1
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
as Dr. Agnes Dabree • 1 eps
1964 Series
6.0
Burke's Law
as Mrs. Ormsby • 1 eps
1963 Series
7.5
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self • 1 eps
1962 Series
6.2
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self • 3 eps
1962 Series
7.8
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
as Aggie McGregor • 1 eps
1962 Series
5.6
Ben Casey
1 eps
1961 Series
6.0
Follow the Sun
1 eps
1961 Series
5.7
Adventures in Paradise
as Miss Creshaw • 1 eps
1959 Series
6.2
Shirley Temple's Storybook
as Mother Goose • 1 eps
1958 Series
6.0
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
as Self • 1 eps
1956 Series
5.4
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1 eps
1955 Series
7.8
The Wonderful World of Disney
as Mrs. Formby • 1 eps
1954 Series
6.4
General Electric Theater
as Hanna Winters • 1 eps
1953 Series
7.3
The Ford Television Theatre
as Rosie Bowker • 1 eps
1952 Series
8.6
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Red Queen • 1 eps
1951 Series
7.9
I Love Lucy
as Edna Grundy • 1 eps
1951 Series
7.2
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
as Betsey Monk, the Widow • 1 eps
1951 Series