Once Famous in the '70s, This Star Got a Deadly Diagnosis on Her Birthday — Where Is She Now?

She lost her childhood earnings before she was old enough to claim them, hid an eating disorder while still playing cheerful roles on screen, and endured public scrutiny over an age-gap romance, long before the call that would stop her cold.

In the '60s and '70s, she was a familiar face in living rooms across America, best known for playing cheerful, well-mannered girls in classic family films. Her fame came early, and for a time, it seemed like her career would never slow down. However, while her on-screen image remained frozen in time, real life moved on, presenting its own challenges.

Decades after her rise to fame, a phone call on her birthday revealed that she had been diagnosed with a deadly illness. She has come a long way since then, and her journey is nothing short of remarkable.

Born into Showbiz: A Childhood Surrounded by Legends

Before she ever stepped in front of a camera, her life was already steeped in the world of film and theater. Born on April 18, 1946, she was the daughter of two British icons: an Oscar-winning actor and a novelist-playwright. Her older sister also pursued a career in acting, making it a true family of entertainers.

In 1958, her life changed dramatically when a family friend — director J. Lee Thompson — noticed her playing in the garden. He cast her in the film "Tiger Bay," opposite her father. The role earned her a BAFTA and launched her into international recognition almost overnight.

Her breakout caught the attention of Walt Disney himself, who signed her to a five-year contract. What followed was a string of blockbuster roles that would make her one of the most recognizable young stars of her generation.

Overnight Stardom and the Pollyanna Problem

Her first role for Disney came in "Pollyanna" (1960), where she played a relentlessly optimistic orphan. The film was a hit, and her performance earned her a special Juvenile Academy Award. A year later, she played identical twins in "The Parent Trap," another box-office success that firmly established her as Disney's go-to child actress.

She was only a teenager, but her face was everywhere. Over the next few years, she starred in a string of Disney productions, including "In Search of the Castaways," "Summer Magic," and "The Moon-Spinners."

She also took on roles outside the studio, including "Whistle Down the Wind," based on her mother's novel, and "The Chalk Garden," where she once again acted alongside her father, Sir John Mills.

At the time, she was under constant pressure to maintain the wide-eyed, cheerful "Pollyanna" image that made her famous. Adults around her expected her to stay small and sweet, both on screen and off. Terrified of growing out of the childlike mold, she began vomiting after meals to keep herself physically smaller.

She was developing bulimia nervosa, a serious eating disorder marked by cycles of bingeing and purging. The condition can be life-threatening and often stems from a distorted sense of body image, combined with a need to control weight or appearance. "I'm trying to shrink my stomach to peanut size," she admitted in 1964.

At the time, mental health and eating disorders were rarely discussed, especially in Hollywood, where the pressure to remain camera-ready was constant. As a young actress in the spotlight, she feared that gaining weight or looking older might cost her career.

Eventually, she began to feel boxed in by the image Disney had built around her. After finishing "That Darn Cat!" in 1965, she parted ways with the studio and took a risk with more adult material. "In The Family Way," she appeared in her first mature role, and surprised many fans by falling in love with the film's director, Roy Boulting, who was 33 years older.

Love, Loss, and a Stolen Fortune

Her relationship with Boulting drew public scrutiny. She was in her early 20s; he was in his 50s and recently divorced. But the criticism didn't deter her. They married in 1971 and had a son, Crispian, two years later. By 1975, however, the marriage had ended.

Not long after, she began a relationship with actor Leigh Lawson. Their son, Jason, was born in 1976. The couple separated in 1984, but she remained closely involved in her sons' lives as she balanced work in television and theater.

At age 21, she finally gained access to the earnings from her child acting years, only to discover the money was nearly gone. Due to a 91 percent tax rate imposed in postwar Britain, the trust had been drained. She appealed the ruling, but the British courts rejected her case in 1975.

She later estimated the lost earnings to be worth over £2 million, more than $2.6 million today. "I knew it was there and one day I would have it, but it was just sort of a dream, and then one day the dream was gone," she reflected. Even as she dealt with financial loss and personal upheaval, she continued working steadily.

A Birthday Diagnosis

In the 1980s and 1990s, her public visibility declined as she transitioned into theater and television. She returned to her roots with roles in productions like "The Flame Trees of Thika" (1981) and starred in "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" (1987), which later became "Saved by the Bell." She also reprised her most famous role in three made-for-TV sequels to "The Parent Trap."

By the 2000s, she was performing on stage, including a successful run in "The King and I," and touring across the U.K. While the spotlight had dimmed, she hadn't left it behind entirely. She joined the cast of "Wild at Heart," a British television series set on an African game reserve.

By then, the name Hayley Mills was familiar to generations. Though not as high-profile as her earlier work, "Wild at Heart" gave her a creative focus and kept her active in her career. She was in her early sixties, healthy and working, when that sense of balance was interrupted.

On April 18, 2008, Mills was sitting in the sun by the Hudson River when her phone rang. It was her doctor, calling with the results of a routine mammogram. The news was unexpected and serious: she had breast cancer, and not just in one breast, but both.

The timing made it more surreal. "It was my birthday when I received the news," she later said. What should have been a simple checkup turned into a life-altering moment. Mills had shown no visible symptoms. Her cancer was caught early, something that's not uncommon.

According to the Mayo Clinic, many breast cancer cases are detected through mammograms before symptoms appear. When they do occur, signs can include a lump in the breast, dimpling of the skin, changes in breast shape, peeling or flaking of the nipple, or discoloration of the skin.

Mills had experienced none of these, underscoring the importance of regular screenings, especially for women over 50. She underwent surgery almost immediately, followed by chemotherapy. Within two weeks of her first session, all her hair had fallen out.

Tired of watching it happen slowly, she asked her son Jason to shave her head. She wore a wig during the day, and at night kept warm with a pink woolly bobble hat—decorated, fittingly, with little knitted fairycakes. Her partner, actor Firdous Bamji, often found her wearing it, a small bit of humor in the middle of a difficult time.

Unable to continue filming the television series "Wild at Heart," she suggested her sister Juliet temporarily take over her role. The plan worked, both on screen and off. "At the end of the series, I came out to do one day's shooting," she said. "That gave me a real focus to get well."

Recovery, Remission, and Rebirth

Mills completed her treatment with a sense of quiet determination. Though chemotherapy had left her weak, she found strength in routine, family support, and a renewed commitment to her health. Two years after her diagnosis, her doctors confirmed that the cancer was gone.

In later interviews, including one from 2021, she said she continued to receive full-body scans and yearly checkups as a precaution, but she viewed her recovery as complete. She credited her long-term wellness to lifestyle changes that she'd maintained ever since. A longtime vegetarian, she doubled down on clean eating and tried to stay active.

She also found time to write her memoir, "Forever Young," reflecting on everything from childhood stardom to cancer survival. Though she still occasionally performs, the pace of her life is quieter now, more personal than public. And after facing one of life's biggest fears, she carries a simple but hard-earned perspective.

At 79, her life today is centered around family. As of September 2021, she had five grandchildren and made it a point never to miss a birthday or milestone. After spending years working through her children's early days, she sees grandparenthood as a second chance to truly show up.