What is Hayley Mills' net worth and salary?
Hayley Mills is a British actress who has a net worth of $500 thousand.
Hayley Mills became one of the most beloved child stars of the 1960s, thanks largely to her unforgettable run at Disney. With her bright screen presence, natural comic timing, and mixture of innocence and intelligence, Mills became a defining face of family entertainment during the studio's golden live-action era. She first drew major attention in the British drama "Tiger Bay," then became an international star with "Pollyanna," "The Parent Trap," "In Search of the Castaways," "Summer Magic," and "That Darn Cat!" For many viewers, her dual performance as separated twins Susan and Sharon in "The Parent Trap" remains one of the most iconic child-star performances in film history. Behind that wholesome image, however, Mills endured one of the more painful financial stories in Hollywood child stardom. Although she earned a fortune during her early career, most of that money was lost to a failed trust arrangement and British tax authorities, leaving her without the financial freedom her success should have provided.
Early Life
Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills was born on April 18, 1946, in Marylebone, London, England. She was born into a prominent acting family. Her father was Sir John Mills, one of Britain's most respected actors, and her mother was Mary Hayley Bell, a playwright and actress. Her older sister, Juliet Mills, also became a successful actress.
Mills entered acting almost by accident. At age 12, she appeared alongside her father in the 1959 British crime drama "Tiger Bay." Her performance as a young girl who witnesses a murder was widely praised and earned her the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer. The film also caught the attention of Walt Disney, who quickly saw her potential as a new kind of young screen star.
Disney Stardom
Mills' first major Disney film was "Pollyanna," released in 1960. Her performance as the relentlessly optimistic orphan won her a special Juvenile Academy Award and made her a major star almost overnight. Disney then placed her at the center of one of the studio's most successful live-action runs.
In 1961, Mills starred in "The Parent Trap," playing twin sisters separated as babies who reunite at summer camp and scheme to bring their divorced parents back together. The role required her to create two distinct characters while also carrying the film's emotional and comic weight. The movie became a classic and remains the project most closely associated with her career.
Her Disney streak continued with "In Search of the Castaways," "Summer Magic," "The Moon-Spinners," and "That Darn Cat!" At the same time, she continued to appear in British projects, including "Whistle Down the Wind," which earned her a BAFTA nomination. By the early 1960s, Mills was one of the most recognizable young actresses in the world.
Lost Childhood Earnings
Despite her massive success, Mills did not retain most of the money she earned as a child star. During the height of her fame, her earnings were placed into a trust that was supposed to protect her money from Britain's extremely high tax rates. The arrangement was created with the help of Stanley Passmore, a financial adviser who worked with her father.
The plan failed disastrously. Mills later explained that when she turned 21, she expected to gain access to her earnings. Instead, she learned that Britain's Inland Revenue had claimed roughly 90% of the money. She has described Passmore bluntly as a "crook" and recalled that he laughed while telling her the situation effectively meant she would have to move to America and keep working.
The loss changed the course of Mills' adult life. She has said the money would not merely have allowed her to buy a larger house or a nicer car. More importantly, it would have given her the freedom to say no to work. Instead, she had to continue taking jobs out of financial necessity. Mills fought the tax decision in court, but her appeals failed.
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Adult Career
As Mills grew older, she worked to move beyond her Disney image. In 1966, she starred in "The Family Way," a British comedy-drama directed by Roy Boulting. The film marked a significant shift from her child-star persona and attracted attention for presenting Mills in a more adult role.
She continued working steadily in film, television, and theater over the decades. In the late 1980s, she became familiar to a new generation of viewers as Miss Bliss in "Good Morning, Miss Bliss," the series that later evolved into "Saved by the Bell." She also appeared in stage productions and British television dramas, including "Wild at Heart" and "Unforgotten."
Mills' long career has been defined by resilience. While many child stars struggle to work consistently as adults, she managed to build a durable acting career across multiple mediums.
Personal Life
While filming "The Family Way," Mills met director Roy Boulting, who was more than three decades older than her. They married in 1971 and had one son, Crispian Mills, who later became the lead singer of the British rock band Kula Shaker. Mills and Boulting divorced in 1977.
She later had a relationship with actor Leigh Lawson, with whom she had her second son, Jason. In 1997, while performing in a stage production of "The King and I," Mills met actor and writer Firdous Bamji. The two formed a long-term relationship, though they chose not to legally marry.
Mills has also spoken openly about personal challenges, including struggles with bulimia during her younger years. In 2008, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After surgery and treatment, she announced in 2012 that she had recovered.
Legacy
Hayley Mills remains one of the defining child stars of the 20th century. Her Disney performances helped shape the studio's live-action identity, and "The Parent Trap" continues to introduce her work to new generations. Her story also stands as a cautionary tale about the financial vulnerability of young performers. Mills earned enormous sums at an age when she had little control over her career or money, only to see most of it disappear through taxes and bad advice.
Even so, she endured. Rather than being remembered only as a former child star, Mills built a decades-long career in film, television, and theater, while remaining deeply associated with some of the most beloved family movies ever made.
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