Julie Christie: Tough, delicate, iconic

Christie was born in Chabua, India — her father ran a tea plantation there — and began acting as a teenager at Wycombe Court, a boarding school for girls in Buckinghamshire, England. She landed her first major role in 1961 on the BBC sci-fi TV series “A for Andromeda.”

After being cast in the small role of Babette LaVern in a 1962 British comedy called “Crooks Anonymous,” Christie turned heads with a brief but memorable performance as Liz, the free-spirited girlfriend of a dreamer (Tom Courtenay) in "Billy Liar," a seminal comedy-drama directed by John Schlesinger. She received a BAFTA nomination for her work.