
Anna Lyna Mary Goodman is the beloved mother of Sir Ben Kingsley born Krishna Pandit Bhanji. Anna Lyna’s son Ben Kingsley is a notable English actor who has earned numerous accolades throughout his career which spans five decades. He has been appointed Knight Bachelor for his services to the British film industry and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Anna Lyna Mary Goodman: Bio Summary
Name | Anna Lyna Mary Goodman |
Born | 1914 |
Died | 2010 (95-96) |
Famous | mother of Ben Kingsley |
Parent | Agnes Goodman |
Spouse | Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji |
Child | Ben Kingsley |
Occupation | Actress and model |
Who Is Ben Kingsley’s Mother, Anna Lyna Mary Goodman?
Ben Kingsley’s mother, Anna Lyna Mary Goodman was born in 1914. Her mother is called Agnes Marion Goodman. Her father’s name is unknown but he is said to be of Jewish descent. She was born out of wedlock. She was unwilling to speak of her background.
Anna Lyna Mary Goodman was raised by her mother. She was born in England, United Kingdom. Her father was believed by the family to have been of Russian or German Jewish descent. Her mother was English and worked in the garment district of London’s East End.
Anna Lyna Mary Goodman’s son, Ben Kingsley disclosed in a 2016 interview that, his maternal grandmother was impregnated by a Russian Jewish immigrant who later abandoned her, which led her to become a “vile anti-Semite.”
Anna Lyna Mary Goodman has kept details of her early life and education away from the spotlight. She pursued a career in the entertainment industry. She was a model and actress. She appeared in films in the 1920s and 1930s.
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Anna Lyna Mary Goodman met Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, a Kenyan-born medical doctor who was born in the East Africa Protectorate, which became, in 1920, the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya. He was a Gujarati Khoja who practiced Isma’ili Islam. They soon started a relationship.
The duo got married and Anna Lyna Mary Goodman became Anna Lyna Mary Bhanji. They welcomed four children, two girls, and two boys.
Where Is Ben Kingsley’s Mother Now?
Ben Kingsley’s mother, Anna Lyna Mary Goodman is not alive. She died in 2010 when she was about the age 95 – 96. The cause of her death is unknown. Her husband Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji died in 1968, at age 53-54.
Her famous Son

Anna Lyna Mary Goodman’s son Ben Kingsley began his career in theatre. He was part of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He spent 15 years appearing mainly on stage. He was cast in productions of As You Like It, which was his West End debut for the company at the Aldwych Theatre in 1967.
Ben Kingsley also had starring roles in Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (including Peter Brook’s 1970 RSC production of the play), Hamlet, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. He appeared in several films.
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Ben Kingsley played the role of Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi (1982) and Itzhak Stern in Schindler’s List (1993). He played a role in the Twelfth Night (1996), Sexy Beast (2000), House of Sand and Fog (2003), Thunderbirds (2004), and Lucky Number Slevin (2006).
Ben Kingsley appeared in Shutter Island (2010), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), Hugo (2011), The Dictator (2012), and Ender’s Game (2013). He played Trevor Slattery in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in Iron Man 3 (2013).
Ben Kingsley also appeared in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), and the Disney+ series Wonder Man. He will appear in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023), a film adaptation of a short story by Roald Dahl. The film was written, produced, and directed by Wes Anderson.
Ben Kingsley voiced the antagonistic Archibald Snatcher in The Boxtrolls (2014), and Bagheera in the live-action adaptation of Disney’s The Jungle Book (2016).
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