What To Know
- Jenny Agutter, now beloved as Sister Julienne on Call the Midwife, began her acting career as a child star in the 1960s.
- She successfully transitioned into adult roles, earning critical acclaim and awards for her performances.
- Here’s a look back at her storied career.
It’s always nice when a child star succeeds beyond their early fame, growing into a full-fledged actor rather than being defined by the ringlets, rosy cheeks, or catchphrases that once brought them fleeting fame as a kid. But few transformations are as genuinely surprising as that of Jenny Agutter, who now wears the habit of Sister Julienne on PBS’s long-running series Call the Midwife.
As Sister Julienne, Agutter is the sister-in-charge of Nonnatus House as a thoughtful figure who often brings wisdom and acceptance to her work, as she treats her patients with dignity. Deeply religious, her sensitivity and non-judgmental ways have made her a fan favorite on the show, as she believes kindness is key to happiness.
Acting for over 50 years, some longtime fans might recognize Agutter from her earlier work.
Courtesy of Everett Collection
When did Jenny Agutter start acting?
Agutter began her career as a child actress in the mid-1960s, making her screen debut in East of Sudan at age 11. It was followed by roles in The Magical World of Disney, A Man Could Get Killed, and The Newcomer, before she broke out in The Railway Children.
When did Jenny Agutter get her big break?
She earned recognition for her role as Bobbie Waterbury in both the 1968 BBC series and 1970 film adaptation of The Railway Children, a turning point in her career.
“The film captured a mood,” she told The Independent, “and it certainly got me noticed. I doubt very much whether Peter Hall would have invited me to the National when I was just 20 to play Miranda opposite John Gielgud without it.”
What is Jenny Agutter best known for?
After her success as a child actor, Agutter transitioned into films and built a career marked by a broad range of acclaimed, successful projects and somewhat spicier roles.
By 1971, she starred in the critically acclaimed films, such as Nicolas Roeg‘s cult classic Walkabout and the TV film The Snow Goose, for which she won an Emmy.
Courtesy of Everett Collection
In 1976, she played Jessica 6 opposite Michael York in the dystopian sci-fi classic Logan’s Run, and in 1977, she starred alongside Richard Burton, Peter Firth, and Joan Plowright in Sidney Lumet‘s riveting Equus, for which she won a BAFTA. But American audiences probably know her best as Nurse Alex Price, the kindhearted caregiver who takes in ailing backpacker David Kessler (David Naughton), only to discover he has fallen victim to a lycanthropic curse in John Landis‘ 1981 horror-comedy classic An American Werewolf in London.
What did Jenny Agutter work on before Call the Midwife?
In the ’80s and ’90s, Agutter shifted her focus to theater and television, taking on notable stage roles and appearing in the TV miniseries A Respectable Trade. She also continued working in film, with credits including Miss Right (1982), Secret Places (1984), and Darkman (1990). She also reprised several Shakespearean roles on both screen and stage.
Agutter also starred as Tessa Phillips in Spooks, known as MI-5 in some countries, the British spy drama that aired on BBC One from 2002 to 2011.
In an interview with Channel 5, Agutter remarked, “I’ve been very lucky, just as an actor, to go from child actor to teenager through young woman and on. And to be working today. It’s quite extraordinary.”