Biography
Janet Suzman — actress, director with roots in the Russian Empire
Janet Suzman was born in Johannesburg on 9 February 1939, the daughter of Saul Suzman, a tobacco importer, and Betty (née Sonnenberg). She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963 and played Cleopatra there in 1973. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and was appointed DBE in 2011 for services to drama.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Lithuania
The anti-apartheid politician Helen Suzman was her aunt. Helen's husband, Moses Suzman, was the son of Lewis Suzman, who emigrated to South Africa from Lithuania in the 1880s. Her maternal grandfather, Max Sonnenberg, was born in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Family Tree
Subject
Janet Suzman🇿🇦 South Africa
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Grandparents
Saul Suzman
Betty Suzman (née Sonnenberg)
↑
Origin
Lithuania🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Lithuania. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Royal Shakespeare Company from 1963; roles included Rosalind, Beatrice and Cleopatra (1973)
02
Academy Award nomination for Best Actress — Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)
03
Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (ATV television production, 1974)
04
Directed a multiracial Othello at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg (1987)
05
DBE — Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2011)
Sources