Category: Oscar Profile

It’s time to take a look at Oscarless actresses – those that have never won a competitive Oscar or any other award from the Academy. That leaves out the likes of Lauren Bacall, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Lillian Gish, Deborah Kerr, Angela Lansbury, Myrna Loy, Maureen O’Hara, Gena Rowlands, Cicely Tyson, and Liv Ullmann, all…

Born February 6, 1904 in New York, New York, Sam Leavitt began his career as a camera operator in 1926 and eventually became an occasional cinematographer in 1932. He became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers in 1935. He did not become a full-time cinematographer until 1952. Among the films on which Leavitt…

Born June 26, 1970 in Los Angeles, California to Edwina and Ernie Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson’s father was a radio and TV personality, horror host and announcer and one of the first owners of a VCR with a vast collection of classic films for his son to cut his teeth on. Young Anderson began shooting…

Born December 22, 1907 in Surrey, England, Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft, known professionally as Peggy Ashcroft, was a titan of the British stage, who only occasionally appeared in films, but when she did, she was as amazing and unforgettable as she was in her lauded stage roles. Ashcroft’s mother had been an actress. Her father,…

Born January 16, 1924 in Mexico City, Mexico, María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García, known professionally as Katy Jurado, was the daughter of a lawyer and a singer. Actor Pedro Armendariz was her godfather. Jurado’s family was wealthy, its fortune controlled by her aristocratic grandmother. When offered a film role at the age of 15,…

Born July 17, 1935 in the Bronx, New York, Carol Diann Johnson, known professionally as Diahann Carroll, was a multi-talented actress, singer, and dancer. She was a Tony winner, an Oscar nominee, a four-time Emmy nominee, and a two-time Grammy nominee. She was also a three-time Golden Globe nominee, winning on her first nomination for…

Born October 5, 1907 in Paris, France, Jean Louis (Berthault) emigrated to the U.S. where he worked as a designer for New York fashion entrepreneur Hattie Carnegie whose clients included Joan Cohn, the wife of Columbia Pictures mogul Harry Cohn. With her influence, he became head designer for Columbia in 1944, a position he held…

Born June 17, 1904 in Chicago, Illinois, Ralph Bellamy’s father was from New England, his mother was from Canada. He ran away from home at 15 to become an actor. He traveled with numerous road shows, and by 1927 had his own theatre company. He made his film debut in 1931’s The Secret Six starring…

Born April 4, 1922 in New York, New York, Elmer Bernstein was a child actor and dancer who also won prizes for his painting. He was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II where he wrote music for the Armed Forces Radio. Eventually he wrote the scores for more than 200…

Born May 5, 1914, matinee idol Tyrone Power was the fourth of five to carry the name beginning with his great-grandfather, a famous Irish comedian who lived from 1795 to 1841. His father (1869-1931) was a noted stage actor who appeared in several films as Tyrone Power but has subsequently been referred to Tyrone Power,…

Born March 29, 1955 in Dublin, Ireland, Brendan Gleeson was an avid reader as a child, a fiddle player, and an actor/teacher since his college graduation. He was, in fact, a full-time teacher for ten years before giving up the profession to concentrate on acting. Gleeson married his wife Mary in 1982 with whom he…

Anyone who ever tried to put together a list of films that that should have been nominated for Academy Awards but weren’t, can tell you that it is an almost impossible task to sort out eligibility dates for the years 1927/28-1981 for to a number of reasons. The first awards were supposed to be for…

Born December 3, 1968 in Indianapolis, Indiana to traveling Canadian parents, Brendan Fraser holds dual American-Canadian citizenship. He grew up in Ottawa, Detroit, Seattle, London, and Rome as his parents who were in the travel business, frequently moved. His early exposure to theatre, especially in London, led him to Seattle’s Cornish Institute where he perfected…

Born September 30, 1921, Deborah Kerr was a ballet trained dancer turned actress who made a stunning screen debut in 1941’s Major Barbara in support of Wendy Hiller and Rex Harrison. Her performance caused such a sensation that she was immediately cast in the lead in the same year’s Love on the Dole. Her career…