Beloved ‘60s actress Hayley Mills made her return to the spotlight on Friday, September 4, when she was photographed at the “Whistle Down the Wind” Q&A at BFI Southbank in London, England.
Hayley Mills Makes Rare Public Appearance
GettyFor the event, Mills, 80, wore a sheer navy blue and white polka-dot top, a navy blazer, and matching navy trousers. She wore her hair loose, accessorized with simple yet elegant earrings, and wore loafers for comfort.
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GettyMills was a former child star, best known for her roles in “The Parent Trap” (1961), “Pollyanna” (1960), “That Darn Cat!!” (1965), and “Tiger Bay” (1959); the latter was her film debut. She also played the role of Kathy Bostock in the 1961 film, “Whistle Down the Wind.” Bryan Forbes directed the film, which stars Mills, Bernard Lee, Alan Bates, Alan Barnes, and Diane Holgate.
Hayley Mills Reflects on Her Interesting Life
GettyIn an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in September 2021, Mills reflected on her life in promotion of her memoir, “Forever Young.” Deciding to share her life so publicly was both exciting and terrifying. “It’s a little bit nerve-wracking, actually! You don’t know what people will make of it,” she told THR.
She wrote her memoir during the pandemic, saying, “There was nothing else to do and nowhere else to go.” It would take 18 months before she had what she needed. But the idea to write about her experiences and memories started years earlier, when she visited Disney Studios. Recalling the moment in her interview, Mills said, “They re-created his [Walt Disney’s] office exactly how it was when he was there in the ’60s. And I remembered it so well. It was extraordinary, like I had been taken into a time machine. I expected him to come walking through the door at any minute.”
The memories came flooding back to Mills, and she later found communication between herself, her parents and Walt Disney, THR reports. The actress did not know this material had existed before, but it helped get her memoir underway. While writing, Mills had the support of her loved ones, and her eldest son offered his help.
Hayley Mills Reflects on Meeting Walt Disney
GettyWalt Disney died in 1966, but he left behind an incredible film portfolio and legacy in the entertainment industry. Disney movies have been an integral part of many childhoods, and Mills’ was no exception. She reflected on her love for the company’s films and for the man who brought them to life. “My first film was ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’ ‘Bambi’ [and] ‘Pinocchio,’” she said. “So, Walt Disney was all of those wonderful films. I think what shocked me when the door of the Harlequin suite opened in the Dorchester hotel was actually, [that] it was a man. Walt Disney is actually a man and a man who looks like that.”
Meeting Walt was a memorable experience for Mills, who described him as “probably everything I would have hoped him to be.”
