Frances Hyland

Frances Hyland OC (April 25, 1927 – July 11, 2004) was a Canadian stage, film and television actress.

In 1964, Hyland was in the CBC's drama series, "Festival," and she was one of the first actresses in Canada to achieve this career objective.  She starred in many movies, television shows, and famous plays, which in turn, was a major accomplishment for a Canadian woman during this time. Not only did Hyland act in a variety of media, her roles were also vastly different. While acting in film, she played a farmer's wife who aged from 30 to 60 over the course of the movie. In "Festival" she played a Salvation Army officer whose life became complicated by love, and on the stage she played the queen of Egypt.

Hyland studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, making her professional debut in London as Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, opposite John Gielgud. In 1954, she returned to Canada, becoming a regular at the Stratford Festival in Ontario. Her roles there included Isabella (in Measure for Measure), Portia (in The Merchant of Venice), Olivia (in Twelfth Night), Perdita (in The Winter's Tale), Desdemona (in Othello) and Ophelia in (in Hamlet). She appeared in movies such as The Changeling (1980), The Hounds of Notre Dame (1980), Happy Birthday to Me (1981), The Lotus Eaters (1993) and Never Talk to Strangers (1995), and on television, including a role on Road to Avonlea.

Hyland was considered to be one of the highest-ranked Shakespearean actresses of her time. In Canada, she and her close friend, Kate Reid, were acknowledged to be two of the greatest actresses, as stated by Weekend Magazine.

Along with being a well-established actress, Hyland has also co-starred with many actors who have gone on to find fame in the USA, such as Christopher Plummer and Robert Goulet. However, as stated earlier, Hyland remained in Canada, even though it was harder for actresses to succeed. She was often questioned as to why she decided to stay in Canada, because other countries held greater career opportunities for her.

Hyland was born in 1927 in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, a small town south-west of Swift Current, to Jessie (née Worden), a teacher, and Thomas Hyland, a salesman. She lived there until her parents divorced when she was one year old. She was raised by her mother's family in Ogema, Saskatchewan. When she was seven, she moved to Regina when her parents tried, and failed, to save their marriage. She had no relationship with her father after 1937.

Her mother put herself through teacher's college to support her daughter's acting career. Hyland's dreams were clouded because her family did not have a great deal of money, thus she was unable to get an adequate education. Nevertheless, she always believed that she could achieve her dreams.

Frances Hyland graduated in 1948 from the University of Saskatchewan with a BA in English. After graduating, she returned to the school to work as an assistant for their drama department. Her professor, Emrys Jones, offered her scholarships which allowed her to perform in London.

While in London, she could envision her dreams of becoming an actress, however while in Canada she often questioned her abilities and future on the stage. There were not as many job opportunities for her in Canada as there were when she travelled to London, New York or other well-known cities. She also stated in an interview with Weekend Magazine that her self-esteem was at risk while working in Canada.

Despite her ambitions to work in London or New York, Hyland stayed in Canada because she fell in love with George McCowan, a fellow Canadian actor and director. They had a son, Evan, in 1957. Unfortunately, the couple separated shortly after.

Her decision to reside in Canada caused her financial income to suffer due to the doubled income that imported London actresses earned.

In 1970, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1994, Hyland received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, for her lifetime contribution to Canadian theatre.

Hyland was described as sensible, modest, and honest with herself and others.