Hayley Mills: Puppy chaos led to Disney role

Actress Hayley Mills, renowned for her roles in Pollyanna and The Parent Trap, recently shared a charming anecdote about her early career with Walt Disney. Appearing on the Rosebud podcast, Mills recounted how a Pekingese puppy named Suki played an unexpected role in securing her part in the 1960 film Pollyanna.

Suki was originally gifted to actress Vivien Leigh by Laurence Olivier. When Leigh found the puppy had soiled her new lime green carpets, she passed the dog to the Mills family. The puppy accompanied Hayley, her sister Juliet, and their parents to a meeting with Walt Disney in London. Mills described the scene, noting that the puppy "covered us in white fur" as they met the legendary filmmaker.

Mills believes Suki's presence was instrumental in her casting. Instead of a formal interview, she and Disney played on the floor with the puppy, a relaxed interaction that she feels led to her being offered the role of Pollyanna. She recalled Disney as a "darling man" and that he shared his philosophy of showing people "the best in themselves."

Reflecting on her time with Disney, Mills also touched upon the challenges of adolescence. She admitted that growing self-consciousness during her teenage years, starting around the time of The Parent Trap at age 14, made life on set difficult. She also revealed she turned down the role of Lolita at 14, partly due to Walt Disney's reservations about the project's mature themes.