Lilli Palmer

Biography

Lilli Palmer was a talented actress born to a German surgeon and an Austrian actress. She began her theatrical career at the age of ten in Berlin, studying under Ilka Gruning. In 1932, she made her professional debut but fled Germany shortly after to escape the Nazi regime. Palmer worked at the Moulin Rouge in Paris and eventually learned English, allowing her to appear in British films starting in 1935 and on the London stage from 1938. After marrying actor Rex Harrison in 1943, she moved to America in 1945, performing in notable productions such as Anne of a Thousand Days and films like Cloak and Dagger. Following her divorce from Harrison, she married actor Carlos Thompson and returned to Europe in 1954. Palmer continued to act internationally and published several books, including her autobiography, Change Lobsters and Dance, in 1975.