Victoria Dawn Addams, a renowned British actress, was born on September 21, 1930, in Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, to Ethel Mary (née Hickie) and Captain James Ramage Addams of the Royal Air Force. Her early life was marked by the untimely death of her mother, and she spent her formative years in Calcutta, India.
Addams' striking features and physique caught the attention of talent agents, leading her to sign a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in December 1950. Her film career commenced with a role in Night into Morning (1951),followed by appearances in Singin' in the Rain (1952),Plymouth Adventure (1952),Young Bess (1953),and The Hour of 13 (1952),opposite Peter Lawford.
She then played David Niven's daughter in The Moon Is Blue (1953),a film that contributed to the relaxation of Hollywood's censorship system, which had been in place since 1934. Addams also embarked on a USO tour in 1953 to entertain troops in Korea. Throughout the remainder of the 1950s, she continued to work steadily in films, including Riders to the Stars (1954),A King in New York (1957),and several other notable roles.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Addams primarily appeared in British television shows and French films. She was a semi-regular on the instructional series En France (1962) and the leading lady in several episodes of The Saint (1962-1969),starring Roger Moore as Simon Templar. Her later film credits include The Vampire Lovers (1970) and The Vault of Horror (1973),as well as her role in the British sitcom Father, Dear Father (1971-1973).
One of her last television roles was in the science fiction serial Star Maidens (1977). Addams retired from acting in the early 1980s, dividing her remaining years between Europe and the United States.
In her personal life, Addams married Don Vittorio Emanuele Massimo, Prince of Roccasecca, in 1954, with the wedding receiving coverage in Life magazine. The couple separated four years later but did not formally divorce until 1971. They had a son, Prince Stefano (b.1955),who married Atalanta Foxwell, daughter of film producer Ivan Foxwell and Lady Edith (Lambart),granddaughter of the 9th Earl of Cavan.
Addams married retired businessman Jimmy White in 1974. She passed away on May 7, 1985, at the age of 54, due to lung cancer in a London hospital.
