Claire Bloom Biography

Never a top star in the commercial sense, Bloom excelled in a series of performances in film, on the radio and on the stage over nearly 60 years.

Born into second generation Jewish immigrant family, with grandparents from Latvia and Germany, Bloom lived an itinerant life with her family before WW2 as her father looked for work.

As a child, Bloom loved the classics of English literature and, on seeing the 1936 film of 'Romeo and Juliet', started to act.

During the war, Bloom lived with an uncle in America, and at 12 started to audition for parts on stage and radio. At war’s end, Bloom trained at the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art in London. She was spotted by a theatre agent at 15 and left school to take the role of a prositute in 'Confessions of an English Opium Eater', and to work at the BBC.

Bloom was single minded in her work and had no time for parties or men. A year later, she was cast as Ophelia in 'Hamlet' at Stratford. More Shakespearean roles followed.

Charlie Chaplin noticed Bloom in a magazine article and wanted her as a leading lady for his ballet film, 'Limelight'. The film was not a success, but it put Bloom’s face on the cover of Time and then Life magazines. Suddenly, she was famous and remains so till today.

Bloom married three times; to Rod Steiger, with whom she had her only daughter Anna, to Hilllard Elkins and novelist Philip Roth.