Shelley Winters (August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an
Oscar-winning American
actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television.
Biography
Early life
Winters was born
Shirley Schrift in
St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of
Jewish parents Rose (
née Winter), a singer with
The Muny, and Jonas Schrift, a designer of men's clothing.
[Shelley Winters Biography (1920?-)][The religion of Shelley Winters, actress][Shelley Winters, Tough-Talking Oscar Winner in 'Anne Frank' and 'Patch of Blue,' Dies - New York Times] Her family moved to
Brooklyn, New York when she was three years old. She studied in the Hollywood Studio Club, sharing the same bedroom with another beginner,
Marilyn Monroe.
Career
As the
New York Times obituary noted, "A major movie presence for more than five decades, Shelley Winters turned herself into a widely respected actress who won two
Oscars." Winters originally broke into Hollywood as "the Blonde Bombshell", but quickly tired of the role's limitations. She washed off her makeup and played against type to set up
Elizabeth Taylor's beauty in
A Place in the Sun, still a landmark American film. As the
Associated Press reported, the general public was unaware of how serious a craftswoman Winters was. "Although she was in demand as a character actress, Winters continued to study her craft. She attended
Charles Laughton's Shakespeare classes and worked at
the Actors Studio, both as student and teacher."
