Hayley has taken on numerous TV, film, and theatre roles over the years, including appearances in popular dramas like ITV’s Unforgotten, Wild At Heart, and a recent cameo in Death in Paradise.
Twelve years ago, she successfully battled breast cancer after a four-year struggle with the illness.
Following surgery in 2008, she began chemotherapy but discontinued after three sessions due to severe side effects.
In her own words, she expressed, “I was more scared of the chemo than the cancer itself. It made me feel terrible. I felt like it was draining the life out of me.”
Instead of continuing with conventional treatment, she opted for alternative methods and made significant changes to her diet by eliminating sugar, dairy, and acidic foods.
Additionally, she incorporated regular exercise and meditation into her routine.
Hayley emphasized, “It’s a major decision. Most conventional options only offer surgery, chemo, and radiotherapy. Once you deviate from that path, you’re essentially on your own because other approaches are often dismissed. You must choose a path you wholeheartedly believe in and be willing to stand by it.”
In her most recent television appearance on Death in Paradise, Hayley met a tragic end as her character, Nancy Martin, was brutally killed off with a knitting needle shortly after her introduction. The Academy Award-winning actress portrayed a nursing home resident who was visited by her cousin Eloise, played by Juliet Cowan. The episode commenced with Nancy enjoying a game of bingo at the nursing home, only to have a confrontation with her rival, Barbara, portrayed by Ellie Haddington. Following her defeat, Nancy stormed off, leaving Eloise and Barbara behind to continue playing. However, the scene then shifted to Nancy sitting alone on a bench, revealing her lifeless body with a fatal stab wound from her own needle. Subsequently, Ralf Little’s DI Neville Parker and the Saint Marie police force were summoned to investigate the case, resulting in an engaging episode. While a murder at the start of the series is essential to provide Neville with a mystery to solve, fans were disappointed by the limited screen time given to Hayley.
One fan expressed their disappointment to X by saying: “Death in Paradise, oh no. Why bring in an iconic actress like Hayley Mills as a guest star only to kill off her character after 2 minutes?” Another viewer criticized, “Hayley Mills getting a trip to the Caribbean for three minutes of acting. Not a good move!” A third wary viewer questioned, “I hope they didn’t just kill off Hayley Mills in the first 5 minutes?” A fourth viewer commented, “Are we going to see flashbacks? It seems quite harsh to have a British acting legend in the show just to kill her off in the first 5 minutes otherwise…” Fortunately, fans were treated to flashbacks and Hayley made periodic appearances throughout the episode, but it was evident that viewers would have liked to see more of her. Ralf Little, who portrays Neville Parker, was delighted to have The Parent Trap actress guest-star on Death in Paradise. In an appearance on The One Show before the new season, Ralf confessed that he was “star-struck” by Hayley.
Ralf expressed his admiration for the actress, Hayley Mills, stating that she is his idol and a true living legend. He highlighted her achievements, mentioning that she is an Oscar winner and starred in the film “Whistle Down the Wind,” which holds a special place in his heart as it is set in the same location where he grew up in the Lancashire hills. Ralf fondly recalled watching the film with his grandparents and described it as a beautiful piece of cinema. When Hayley Mills arrived on set, Ralf was in awe of her presence and described her as an extraordinary legend and a fantastic actor. He was impressed by her professionalism, kindness, and easy-going nature, which served as an inspiration for him. Ralf admitted that he was star-struck by her, considering her one of the few people who had such an effect on him, and he was fortunate enough to share scenes with her.
