Born in 1917 in Northern Ireland, she became a prominent British actress in the 1930s and 1940s. She gained fame for roles in films like "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) and "Great Expectations" (1946). Transitioning from acting, she married politician John Profumo, becoming involved in a major 1963 political scandal. Following the scandal, she largely withdrew from public life, focusing on family and charity work until her passing in 1998.