{{Short description|Former Scottish child actor famous for her role in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Heather Ripley | birth_date = | birth_place = Dundee, Scotland | occupation = Actress | known_for = Playing Jemima Potts in ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' }} '''Heather Ripley''' is a Scottish former actress. She is best known for the film ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' (1968), in which she played Jemima Potts.
==Early life== Ripley was raised in Broughty Ferry, outside of Dundee, Scotland.<ref name="Guardian" /> Her father and grandfather owned an opticians' business, and her mother worked as a wardrobe mistress at Dundee Rep.<ref name="Guardian" /> Ripley would accompany her mother to rehearsals and replaced a young actress in the play ''Roar Like a Dove'' one week before it opened, which gained the notice of a talent scout.<ref name="Guardian" /> Six months before filming began for ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'', she travelled to London with her parents to audition for the role of Jemima Potts.<ref name=Guardian/> It was the first film for the two child stars, Ripley and Adrian Hall, who were cast after an extensive talent search.<ref>Fuller, Stephanie. "2 Young Thespians Truly Scrumptious", ''Chicago Tribune'', 22 December 1968: f14.</ref>
Ripley took lessons to change her accent for the film,<ref name="Standard" /> and later recalled: "They thought I was perfect for the part, apart from the accent. But they said that wasn't a problem as they'd get rid of it. I thought that sounded a bit ominous. What did they mean? Brain surgery?”<ref name=Guardian>Garfield, Simon. [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/feb/24/features.review "After the big Bang Bang..."], ''The Guardian'', 24 February 2002</ref> Accompanied by her mother, Ripley was away from her Dundee home for 14 months for the filming of ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''.<ref name=Guardian/>
==Later years== After making ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'', Ripley continued to audition for roles and eventually left the film industry.<ref name="Guardian" /><ref name="Standard"/><ref name=Times2/> Her earnings from the film were held in trust until her 18th birthday, but she later recalled "After 10 years of it being invested, it was only about £7,000".<ref name="Guardian" /> She returned to Dundee, where she later joined the family optician business.<ref name="Guardian" /> Ripley also became involved in anti-nuclear activism and campaigns for the environment.<ref name="Guardian" /><ref name="Standard"/><ref name="Times"/>
Ripley participated in the 1999 documentary ''After They Were Famous: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''.<ref name=BFI/> She attended the London premiere of the musical ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' at the London Palladium in 2002.<ref name="Standard">Smith, Laura. [https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/the-dream-of-fame-that-fell-apart-7434454.html "The dream of fame that fell apart"], ''London Evening Standard'', 7 April 2002</ref> In 2004, she made a brief appearance in the independent film ''The Interview'' which was screened at that year's Edinburgh Film Festival.<ref name="Times2">Farquharson, Kenny. [https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/my-escape-from-the-child-catcher-d5h89cktbvs "My escape from the child catcher: The child star of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tells Kenny Farquharson how she has finally put the film behind her"], ''The Times'', 2 January 2005 {{subscription required}}</ref> In 2004, she was interviewed with members of the original cast on ITV1 on Christmas Eve.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/2732110/Happy-return.html "Happy Return"], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 18 December 2004 {{subscription required}}</ref>
She was a guest at the Broadway premiere of the musical ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' at the Hilton Theatre in 2005.<ref>[https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/galleryphoto.php?photoid=6094&personid=9707 Heather Ripley], broadwayworld.com (2005)</ref> In 2016, Ripley was a volunteer worker at the Lagadikia refugee camp outside Thessaloniki in Greece which provided food, clothing and support to about 875 people.<ref>Paterson, Kirsteen. [https://www.thenational.scot/news/14903265.child-film-star-turned-activist-heather-ripley-shine-a-light-on-conditions-in-greek-refugee-camp "Child film star turned activist Heather Ripley shine a light on conditions in Greek refugee camp"], ''The National'' 31 May 2016</ref> In 2020, she voiced the character Babs in the independent-made short animation ''Lavatory of Terror'',<ref name="Times">Fairburn, Robert. [https://www.thetimes.com/article/forgotten-child-star-of-chitty-chitty-bang-bang-is-lured-back-by-loo-role-nsdwp0ftw "Forgotten child star of ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is lured back by loo role"], ''The Times'', 15 January 2020 {{subscription required}}</ref> telephoning her lines in via her smartphone.<ref>Knox, David. [https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/18161064.chitty-bang-bang-star-lured-retirement-langlee-film-makers "''Chitty Bang Bang'' star lured out of retirement by Langlee film-makers"], ''The Border Telegraph'', 15 January 2020</ref>
==Filmography== ===Films=== * ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' (1968) - Jemima Potts<ref name=BFI/>
===Television=== *''After They Were Famous'' (as herself) - TV documentary (1999)<ref name=BFI/> *''After They Were Famous: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' (as herself) - interview (2004)<ref name=BFI>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210128121748/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba8ccf04b Filmography of Heather Ripley], British Film Institute Database</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0728007|name=Heather Ripley}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ripley, Heather}} Category:Living people Category:20th-century Scottish actresses Category:Actresses from Dundee Category:Scottish anti-nuclear activists Category:Findhorn community Category:Scottish child actresses Category:British child actresses Category:Scottish film actresses Category:Scottish stage actresses Category:Scottish television actresses Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:People from Broughty Ferry