Dame Virginia Anne McKenna, DBE is a British stage and screen actress, author, activist, and wildlife campaigner.
At age 19, McKenna spent six months at Dundee Repertory Theatre, where she gained acting experience.
She worked on stage in London’s West End theatre, making her debut in Penny for a Song in 1951.
McKenna made her cinematic debut with a prominent role in The Second Mrs. Tanqueray (1952) starring Hugh Sinclair and Pamela Brown, then played Richard Attenborough’s sister-in-law in Father’s Doing Fine (1952).
McKenna shot to fame when she played Joy Adamson in the 1966 film Born Free.
She subsequently starred in over 50 films including; The Horse’s Mouth (1953), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), Carve Her Name with Pride (1958), An Elephant Called Slowly (1970), Beauty and the Beast (1976), Leona Calderon (2013), The Whistle-Blower (2001), Duel of Hearts (1991), Blood Link (1982), Shades of Greene (1975), Mystery and Imagination (1966), The Case of the Frightened Lady (1983), Golden Years (2016), Widow’s Walk (2019), Wings (2020), and many others.
McKenna was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2004 New Year Honours for services to wildlife and the arts and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to wildlife conservation and wild animal welfare.
Virginia McKenna Parents: Meet Terry McKenna, Anne McKenna
Terry McKenna and Anne McKenna are the parents of Virginia McKenna.
Virginia’s father Terry McKenna was an auctioneer, while his mother Anne McKenna was a jazz pianist, composer and cabaret performer.