Sarah Patterson (born 15 May 1970) is a former English film actress. She is best known for her lead role in the 1984
gothic-horror movie ''
The Company of Wolves.''
Early life and education
Patterson was born in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
into a professional
middle-class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...
household, raised in
Camden Town
Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London.
Laid out as a residential distri ...
by her father, David Llewelyn Hood Patterson, a consultant physician, cardiologist and professor of medicine with the
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is an NHS foundation trust based in London, United Kingdom. It comprises University College Hospital, University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street, the UCH Macmillan Cancer C ...
, of Welsh descent and his spouse. She attended
South Hampstead High School, an
independent school
A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...
for girls in
Swiss Cottage
Swiss Cottage is an area in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of Charing Cross. The area was ...
, London.
Career
Discovery and Child Notoriety
Patterson's acting debut at the age of 14 was accidental, not anticipated. Planning to provide moral support to a friend who was auditioning, she was noticed by director
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan (born 25 February 1950) is an Irish filmmaker and writer. He first achieved recognition for his short story collection, ''Night in Tunisia (short story collection), Night in Tunisia,'' which won the Guardian Fiction Prize in ...
and cast in the lead role as Rosaleen, a
Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" () is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European Fable, folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Broth ...
character spin-off, in 1984's
gothic-horror film ''
The Company of Wolves''.
"Sarah accompanied a friend to auditions,” Jordan recalls. “I spotted her waiting, auditioned her and gave her the role. When you write a part for a child, you either end up with a child actress, which is generally bad news, or with someone who has never acted before. That was the first time I gave a role to someone inexperienced, but I’ve done it subsequently in ''The Butcher Boy'' and other films like ''The Miracle''. In ''The Crying Game'', Jay Davidson’s character could not have been played by an actor because you would have recognised him and known he was a man. Sarah had this particular kind of beauty and was very anxious to do it. Her parents were enlightened enough to let her play in this quite disturbing film.”
Her performance was praised by critics, notwithstanding her chemistry with her co-stars,
Dame
''Dame'' is a traditionally British honorific title given to women who have been admitted to certain orders of chivalry. It is the female equivalent of ''Sir'', the title used by knights. Baronet, Baronetesses Suo jure, in their own right also u ...
Angela Lansbury
Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American actress, producer, and singer. In a career spanning 80 years, she played various roles on stage and screen. Among her numerous accolades wer ...
, a fellow
South Hampstead High School alumni and Micha Bergese as well as in the treatment of adult themes. After the film's release, she returned to education, sitting her
O-levels in June 1986. Shortly after, Patterson began filming another
fairy tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...
-inspired movie playing the titular heroine (albeit, a
typecast role) in
Cannon Film's low-budget ''
Snow White
"Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
'' which was shot on location in Israel. Cannon Films had distributed Jordan's first feature-length movie in the United States and the producer's director, Michael Berz, was seeking an actress to play the role of ''Snow White'' as part of its
Cannon Movie Tales series, Patterson was the ideal candidate with prior experience in the genre.
Retirement from the Film Industry
After an unremarkable theatre opening, with the Cannon "Brand" increasingly synonym with mediocrity in North America, its primary and most lucrative market, the musical fantasy was released
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
in 1987 and considered a flop. Whether as a consequence or as a contributing factor, Patterson decided to unofficially retire from the film industry at the age of 17, stepping out of the limelight entirely. There was no transition to theatre, television or other broadcasting activities, a situation akin to a voluntary rupture across all forms of entertainment. Paradoxically, Patterson continued to be represented by a local London talent agency, Kate Feast Management, in Camden, at least until 1994. This collaboration, however, failed to meet expectations had the actress expressed any to begin with.
Film Acting Reprisal in the 2000s
Patterson briefly reprised acting in two low-budget
LGBTQ
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
pictures, both produced by Valiant Doll, her friend
Lisa Gornick's
independent film
An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
production company. This return seems to have been prompted more out of camaraderie and opportunity than a marked commitment to the profession or financial remuneration. Nonetheless, ''Do I Love You?'' witnessed her back on-screen after an absence of fifteen years, and, later, in ''
Tick Tock Lullaby'', also in a supporting role. There was no participation in any promotional interviews, however, with Patterson remaining a deeply private individual. In the end, despite the talent, ability and promising future, as Neil Jordan remarks in a 2005 interview, "Acting is something she didn’t really pursue" with independent film scholar Matthew Edwards to add "Patterson (...) fell into acting, as opposed to (...) pursuing a dream of becoming an actress". Her acting debut certainly gives credence to that assertion.
Personal life
Patterson is married with 2 children and lives in London.
Filmography
Film
Television
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Sarah
1970s births
Living people
Actresses from London
English film actresses
20th-century English actresses
21st-century English actresses
Year of birth missing (living people)