Tracy Hyde
Tracy Hyde (born 16 May 1959 in Fulham, London) is a British former actress and model who became famous after the 1971 film Melody, discovered by producer David Puttnam.
She learned ballet from age four, did junior modelling, and auditioned for a pickle advertisement. Photographer Andrew Birkin saw her photos and urged her mother to let her audition for the lead role of Melody Perkins. Birkin also introduced her to director Waris Hussein, writer Alan Parker, and producer David Puttnam. After screen tests, she won the part.
After Melody, Hyde appeared in a few TV productions in the early 1970s. The film’s success in Japan led to an invitation there in 1972 and plans for a lead film, but budget problems stopped it.
Hyde studied at secretarial college and worked as a legal secretary for a law firm. She also appeared in Japanese magazines and calendars and returned to Japan in 1977 for a film awards ceremony.
In the 1980s, she made a film comeback with Dead End (1980), The Orchard End Murder (1980), and Alice (1982), where she was reunited with Jack Wild. She also starred in several TV shows, including Sorry! (1981–82), Kinvig (1981), The Gentle Touch (1982), Now and Then (1983–84), Dempsey and Makepeace (1985, “Nowhere to Run”), Bust (1987), and The Bill (1988).
By the end of the decade she stepped away from acting and married Allen J. Polley. In 1994 Japanese TV tracked her down; she had moved to France with her husband and their three sons. She later remarried and returned to London, where she now runs the family kennel boarding business.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:34 (CET).