Constance Malleson
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Constance Malleson (October 24, 1895 - October 5, 1975) was a British actress (under the name Colette O'Neil) and writer, the wife of actor Miles Malleson and lover of Bertrand Russell.
She was born Lady Constance Annesley, daughter of the 5th Earl Annesley, at Castewellan Castle. Her sister, Lady Mabel Annesley, became a successful artist. Constance trained at RADA and married Miles Malleson in 1915. She went on to appear in many West End productions and at least one film. During the First World War, her pacifist opinions brought her into contact with Bertrand Russell, whose mistress she soon became (having agreed with her husband on an "open marriage"). In 1923, she was divorced from Malleson. Her interest in social reform led her to travel abroad, and she carried out lecture tours in Scandinavia in the 1930s and 1940s.
Books
- After Ten Years (1929) (autobiography)
- The Coming Back (1933) (novel)