Background
White, the daughter of a scrap merchant, was born in Hammersmith, London.
White, the daughter of a scrap merchant, was born in Hammersmith, London.
She attended the Corona Stage Academy.
She continued working regularly and drew attention for her performances in the television version of Nell Dunn"s Up the Junction (1965). She followed this success with roles in Cathy Come Home (1966) and the films, based on another Nell Dunn book, and Up the Junction, Cathy Come Home and Poor Cow were all directed by Ken Loach.
White starred opposite Alan Bates, Dirk Bogarde and Ian Holm in the film adaptation of Bernard Malamud"s and then travelled to Hollywood in 1968 to make.
She appeared in Something Big in 1971, and had major roles in and (opposite singer Roy Harper), but her career went into decline soon after, largely as a result of personal problems including drug and alcohol abuse, though she had a prominent role as a hostage in. After living in Hollywood for several years, White returned to London to star in Nell Dunn"s play Steaming at the West End"s Comedy Theatre, filming Nutcracker at the same time.
Despite receiving excellent reviews for Steaming, she often was late, missed performances, and finally was sacked. In 1981, a biography, Carol Comes Home, by Clifford Thurlow, was published.
Although White received publicity for the play and the biography, she was not able to renew her career.
She returned to the United States, where she remained for the rest of her life. During the late 1960s, White was considered one of the most promising actresses in British cinema. Her problems with alcoholism and substance abuse, as well as unhappy relationships with male stars such as Richard Burton, Frank Sinatra, Oliver Reed and Paul Burke, hindered her career.
White died in 1991 in Florida, at the age of 48.
The cause of her death is disputed, with some sources claiming she took a drug overdose and others (including Upton and the Sunday Times) suggesting she succumbed to liver disease. A television film of her life, The Battersea Bardot, was shown in 1994 with Wendy Morgan as White.