Hildegard Neil | Cleopatra actress who had relationships with Roger Moore and Brian Blessed dies aged 84

Know for her roles during a golden age of British entertainment, the actress Hildegard Neil died on September 19 2023, it was announced earlier this week. A statement announced that she had died of cancer at the age of 84.

Born Hildegard Hope Zimmermann on May 20, 1939, in South Africa, She relocated to England in 1961 and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) for two years. Throughout her career, she made notable appearances in various films, television shows, and stage productions.

Neil's acting career commenced with her television debut in the BBC Schools' production of ‘Julius Caesar’ in 1963. Over the following four decades, she appeared as a guest artist in numerous television series. She also demonstrated her talent on the big screen, with roles in films such as 1970’s ‘The Man Who Haunted Himself,’ ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ in 1972, ‘A Touch of Class’ in 1973, ‘The Legacy’ in 1978 and ‘The Mirror Crack'd’ in 1980 to name some of her more notable screen roles.

Her stage performances included a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she portrayed various roles, including "Gertrude" in "Hamlet." Neil also showcased her versatility by directing productions of "Much Ado About Nothing" in 1971 and "As You Like It" in 1972.

Before marrying Brian Blessed, the actress had a relationship with another renowned British actor, Roger Moore. The two performers had a relationship that lasted for several years, with Neil involved with the James Bond actor before Moore's marriage to Luisa Mattioli, his third wife, in 1969. She would marry Blessed, the woman the actor said he lost his heart to, in December 1978 after the pair met while filming the Yorkshire TV series, ‘Boy Dominic.’