Jenny Runacre (born 18 August 1946) is a South African-born English actress. She moved to London as a child, attended the Actors' Workshop, and trained in the Stanislavski System. Her first major film role was Mary Tynan in Husbands, after auditioning with John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, and Peter Falk. She then joined the original London cast of Oh! Calcutta! and appeared in films including Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Canterbury Tales, John Huston's The Mackintosh Man, Robert Fuest's The Final Programme, Michelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger, and Derek Jarman's Jubilee, where she played Elizabeth I and "Bod". She also acted in British television, including the series Brideshead Revisited as Brenda Champion.
In the 1990s, Runacre pursued higher education, earning a Master's in Fine Art Practice from Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design. She has worked in installation art, experimental filmmaking, and as a lecturer in residence in art. In 2007, she directed the play Frozen by Gareth Parker and Andrew Swann, which received nominations for Best Direction, Best Writing, and Best Overall Production at the LOST Theatre Festival. She also directed its audio adaptation for the Wireless Theatre Company. Most recently, she appeared in John Maybury's The Edge of Love, released in summer 2008.
South Africa
