Deborah Kerr - ©Theda Bara

The name I want to highlight in this post is that of actress Deborah Kerr, nominated for an Oscar six times but never a winner, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded her an honorary Oscar in 1994 for her film career.

Deborah Kerr was honored by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926-2022), being appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1998. She also won two Golden Globe Awards: Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical in 1957 for “The King and I” (1956), for her role as “Anna Leonowens”; and the Henrietta Award in 1959. In addition, she received a BAFTA Special Award in 1991.

There is a book by biographer Michelangelo Capua (1966-), “Deborah Kerr: A Biography”, a biographical work about the life and career of the British actress, published in 2010. The book addresses Kerr’s rise to fame in British and Hollywood cinema and her most notable roles. Capua has degrees in Law and Political Science and lives and works in London, where he is a correspondent for an Italian film magazine. The biographer is also a collector and dealer of rare books.

Actress Deborah Kerr has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1709 Vine Street, in the Film category.

Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer was born on September 30, 1921, in Scotland, United Kingdom, and died on October 16, 2007, in Botesdale, United Kingdom, at the age of 86.

Deborah Kerr was married twice. Her first marriage was to Anthony Charles Bartley (1919-2001), a British film and television executive and fighter pilot. As a Spitfire pilot in the Royal Air Force, Bartley received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions during the Battle of Britain, in which he became an ace pilot. The couple remained together from 1945 to 1959 and had two daughters: Professor Emerita Melanie Jane Bartley (1947-), of University College London, and homemaker Francesca Shrapnel (1951-). Her second marriage was to the German screenwriter and writer Peter Viertel (1920-2007), from 1960 to 2007, who left the actress a widow and, after her, also died.

Joanne Woodward - ©Theda Bara

The name I bring to you in this post is that of the American actress Joanne Woodward. She won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1958 for her performance in the film “The Three Faces of Eve” (1957), playing the role of “Eve White”, who suffers from constant headaches and fainting spells and decides to consult the psychiatrist Dr. Curtis Luthe, played by actor Lee J. Cobb (1911-1976). After being hypnotized, she discovers that she has two other personalities: “Eve Black” and “Jane”, an impulsive and lively woman and a girl submissive to her own mother.

In addition to the 1958 Oscar, she also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for “The Three Faces of Eve”. In 1969 she won another Golden Globe, for “Rachel, Rachel” (1968),  character: “Rachel Cameron” and in 1995 for Best News Special for Television. She won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in 1975 for “Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams” (1973), playing the role of “Rita Walden”. She won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in 1985 for “Do You Remember Love”, playing the role of “Barbara Wyatt-Hollis”, in 1990 for the TV documentary “American Masters” and for Best Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special in 1978 for “See How She Runs”, playing the role of “Betty Quinn”.

In 2019, her youngest daughter, Claire Olivia, and Peter Shelley (1955-) published the biography: “Her Life And Career”, which tells the story of Joanne Woodward’s life and career.

The actress has a star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in the Motion Picture category.

Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward, born on February 27, 1930, in Thomasville, Georgia, United States, currently lives in Westport, Connecticut, in the United States, and is 95 years old.

Joanne Woodward was married to the famous actor Paul Leonard Newman (1925-2008) from 1958 to 2008, from whom she was widowed. The couple had three daughters: the American children’s television actress Elinor Teresa Newman, who performed under the name Nell Potts (1959-); the American singer and actress Melissa Stewart Newman, also known as Lissy Newman (1961-); and the American literary editor Claire Olivia Newman (1965-).

Sammy Davis Jr - ©Theda Bara

The name I present to you in this post is that of the American actor, dancer, singer, musician and TV host, Sammy Davis Jr.

Davis spent his childhood in vaudeville and became known for his performances on Broadway and in Las Vegas, starring in television shows and films. He was part of the group of actors led by Frank Sinatra (1915-1998), with whom he was a great friend. Other names of Davis’ friends from Sinatra’s group were: Dean Martin (1917-1995) and Liza Minnelli (1946-)

Sammy Davis was also a close friend of Elvis Presley (1935-1977) and Michael Jackson (1958-2009), with whom he maintained good relations. Jackson had been a huge fan of Davis since he was a child and wrote the song “You Were There” for the Sammy Davis 60th birthday special, performing it live in 1989.

In 1954, Sammy lost his left eye in a car accident. In 1960, he appeared in his first movie, “Rat Pack”, without anyone noticing that he had lost an eye.

Sammy Davis Jr. was the first black artist to star in his own television show, but after converting to Judaism, he provoked great indignation in American conservative society and the public and, due to external pressure, saw his television show canceled by the network’s management. As an African-American, Davis was a victim of racism throughout his life and was a major funder of the civil rights cause.

“Why Me?” (1989), is an autobiographical book written by Sammy Davis Jr. - in it, the artist talks about his obsession with being a star, his fear of losing fame, his career in vaudeville, his friendship with American Protestant pastors and political activists Martin Luther King (1929-1968) and Jesse Jackson (1941-), and his estrangement from his family.

Davis never received an Oscar and was only recognized posthumously in 2001, receiving the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Sammy Davis Jr. has his star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at 6254 Hollywood Boulevard, in the Music category.

Samuel George Davis, Jr., born December 8, 1925, in Harlem, New York, United States, died at the age of 64 of esophageal cancer on May 16, 1990, in Beverly Hills, California, United States, and is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles.

Sammy Davis Jr. had three marriages: his first wife was American actress Loray White (1934–). The couple had a disagreement due to jealousy and the relationship lasted approximately 1 year, from 1958 to 1959; his second marriage was to Swedish Maybritt Wilkens, known as May Britt (1934–), from 1960 to 1968, with whom he had two children, writer Tracey Davis (1961–2020) and professor Jeff Davis (1963–); his third marriage was to actress and model Joanne Davis (1943–2009), from 1970 to 1990, when Joanne was widowed by Sammy. The couple adopted two brothers, actor Manny Davis (1960–) and former basketball player Mark Davis (1963–).

Val Kilmer - ©Theda Bara

The name I introduce to you in this post is Val Kilmer, an American actor of German, Swedish, Irish and Cherokee descent, who passed away yesterday (April 1), in California). 

Kilmer was originally a stage actor, who became popular in the mid-1980s after starring in several comedy films, starting with “Top Secret!” (1984), playing the character: “Nick Rivers” and “Real Genius” (1985), playing the character: “Chris Knight”. He also starred in action films, including a supporting role in “Top Gun” (1986) and “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022) as “Tom Kazanski” (his final film, as his voice was weakened by cancer), and a larger role in “Willow” (1988), playing the character: “Madmartigan”. During the 1990s, Kilmer gained critical acclaim after starring in several box office hits, including his roles as “Jim Morrison” in “The Doors” (1991); “Doc Holliday” in the Western “Tombstone” (1993); “Batman” in “Batman Forever” (1995); “Chris Shiherlis” in “Heat” (1995); “Colonel John Henry Patterson” in “The Ghost and the Darkness” (1996); “Simon Templar” in “The Saint” (1997); and in the animated musical film, he voiced “Moses and God”, in “The Prince of Egypt” (1998).

In 2020, Val Kilmer released his memoir: “I’m Your Huckleberry”, in which he goes into detail about his battle with throat cancer and his failed relationships with famous actresses.

A philanthropist, Kilmer helped NGOs whose causes he considered just, such as Habitat for Humanity, AmeriCares and Wildlife Center, which earned him the Humanitarian Award in 2022.

Val Kilmer was born, lived and died in Los Angeles and inexplicably does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, nor any relevant awards in film, TV or theater.

Born Val Edward Kilmer, in Los Angeles, California, on December 31, 1959 - died due to pneumonia, on April 1, 2025, Los Angeles, California, at the age of 65.

In his marriage to British actress Joanne Whalley (1961-) from 1988 to 1996, the actor had two children: actress Mercedes Kilmer (1991-) and actor Jack Kilmer (1995-).

Ronald Colman - ©Theda Bara

The name I bring to you in this post is Ronald Colman, a film actor born in England and based in the United States.

Colman won the Oscar for best actor (1948) for his performance in the film: “A Double Life” (1947), playing “Anthony John”, a stage actor who goes mad while staging a production of William Shakespeare’s (1564-1616) tragedy - “Othello” (1603), to the point where he can no longer distinguish what is real from what is drama. This film also earned the actor a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama.

Ronald Colman has two stars on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at 1623 Vine Street, in the TV category, and at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, in the Motion Picture category.

Ronald Colman, born February 9, 1891, England, United Kingdom, died May 19, 1958, Los Angeles, California, United States, aged 67.

Ronald Colman was married twice, first to Brazilian actress Thelma Raye, née Thelma Victoria Maud Bell-Morton (1890-1966) from 1920 to 1934 and to British actress Benita Hume (1907-1967) from 1938 to 1958. Ronald and Benita had one daughter, American writer Juliet Benita Colman (1944-), who wrote the biography of her father: “Ronald Colman, a very private person : a biography” (1975).

Patrick Swayze - ©Theda Bara

The name I bring to you in this post is that of the unforgettable American actor, singer and dancer Patrick Swayze, who performed brilliantly in several classic films, such as: “Dirty Dancing” (1987), character “Johnny Castle”; “Road House” (1989), character “Dalton”; “Ghost” (1990), character “Sam Wheat”; “One Last Dance” (2003), character “Sam Wheat”; “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” (2004), character “Johnny Castle”, among others.

Today, September 14, marks exactly fifteen years since Patrick Swayze died of cancer. The actor was nominated for several awards but never won, not even a posthumous lifetime achievement award.

British biographer and journalist Wendy Leigh (1951-2016) wrote the biography of Patrick Swayze: “Patrick Swayze: One Last Dance” (2009) which tells the story of childhood abuse, alcoholism, success and death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 57.

Patrick Swayze has his star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, 7021 Hollywood Boulevard, in the Motion Picture category.

Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas, United States, and died on September 14, 2009, in Los Angeles, California, United States, at the age of 57.

The actor was married to American actress Lisa Anne Haapaniemi, known as Lisa Niemi (1956-) from 1952 to 2009. They met at the dance school of  Yvonne Helen Patsy Swayze (1927-2013), Patrick’s mother. The couple had no children.

Joan Fontaine - ©Theda Bara

The actress I bring in this post is an Anglo-American, born in Japan, I’m talking about Joan Fontaine, who initially used the stage name Joan Burfield, having later assumed the surname Fontaine.

Joan was one of the countless stars of Hollywood’s golden age. The height of her fame occurred in 1942, when she won the Oscar for Best Actress, for her performance in the film: “Suspicion” (1941), playing “Lina McLaidlaw”, in the plot of: Alfred Hitchcock (1889-1980).

There was a great rivalry behind the scenes in Hollywood between sisters Joan Fontaine (the youngest) and Olivia Mary de Havilland (1916-2020), an Anglo-American-French actress, born in Japan. Olivia always considered herself a better actress than her sister and is one of the few to have received the Oscar for Best Actress on more than one occasion. This rivalry gave rise to the biography: “Sisters: The Story of Olivia de Havilland e Joan Fontaine” (1984), by the English writer, editor and poet Charles Higham (1931-2012).

Joan Fontaine has her star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at 1645 Vine Street, Cinema category.

Joan Fontaine, born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, October 22, 1917, Tokyo, Japan, died December 15, 2013, Carmel Highlands, California, United States, aged 96.

The actress was married four times. Her first marriage was to British actor William Brian de Lacy Aherne, known as Brian Aherne (1902-1986) from 1939 to 1945; her second marriage was to American film and television producer, writer and actor William McElroy Dozier (1908-1991) from 1946 to 1951, with whom the actress had a daughter, audiobook narrator Deborah Dozier Potter (1948-); third marriage was to American film producer and writer, who worked on many films in the (1950s) before becoming television producer for NBC and CBS programs, Collier Hudson Young (1908-1980) from 1952 to 1961 During this relationship, the actress adopted a girl, Martita Pareja (1946-), when the couple took a trip to South America, while in Cuzco, Peru, Joan met Martita, an adorable little girl who survived by begging on the streets of city; and her last marriage was to journalist and magazine editor Alfred Wright, Jr. (1914-1971) from 1964 to 1969. After this marriage, Joan Fontaine lived alone (without getting married), only in the company of employees in her apartment in New York, United States.

Vivien Leigh - ©Theda Bara

In this post I bring you one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, her name is Vivien Leigh.

This excellent English actress, born in India of the British Empire, had only two Oscar nominations and both were converted into Oscars for Best Actress (1940 and 1952), for her performance in the films: “Gone with the Wind” (1939), playing the role of “Scarlett O'Hara”, a spoiled and temperamental young woman, who gets everything she wants. However, something is missing in his life: the love of “Ashley Wilkes”, played by the British actor: Leslie Howard (1893-1943), a southern nobleman who must marry his cousin “Melanie Hamilton”, played by the actress: British-American-French, born in Japan, Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020). The other film that gave Vivien Leigh an Oscar was: “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951), alongside the still young American actor Marlon Brando (1924-2004), in the role of “Blanche DuBois”, who goes to visit his sister (pregnant) in New Orleans, looking for a place to live, after being expelled from her hometown for seducing a 17-year-old boy (Brando - character: “Stanley Kowalski”).

The actress has her star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at Hollywood Boulevard: 6773, Cinema category.

Vivien Leigh has a few biographies written, the most complete is: “Vivien: The Power of Compassion: The Life of Vivien Leigh” (1987), by British film critic Alexander Walker (1930-2003)

Vivien Leigh’s birth name is: Vivian Mary Hartley and was nicknamed: Lady Olivier in late 1947, born 5 November 1913, Darjeeling, India and died 8 July 1967, Belgravia, London, United Kingdom United, aged 54.

Vivien Leigh has been married twice. Her first marriage was to lawyer Herbert Leigh Holman (1900-1982) from 1932 to 1940, with whom she had her only daughter, British actress Suzanne Farrington (1933-2015). Vivien and Herbert separated in (1940), the same year that the actress married the renowned British actor, producer and director, winner of four Oscars and three Golden Globes, Sir. Laurence Kerr Olivier, proclaimed Baron Olivier in 1947 (1907-1989) from 1940 to 1960.

Rita Hayworth - ©Theda Bara

In this post I bring you Rita Hayworth, one of Hollywood's biggest stars. During her 37-year film career, Rita starred in 61 films. Among them, the one that was most successful and made the actress iconic was: “Gilda” (1946).

Rita Hayworth, one of the most glamorous actresses of Hollywood's golden age, was never nominated for an Oscar. Her only significant award came at age 60, in 1978, when she received an award from the National Film Society for her lifetime of dedication to film.

The actress has her star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at 1645 Vine Street, Cinema category.

In 2014, among the countless existing biographies, a posthumous and very complete one was written about the actress: “Rita Hayworth: And Men Created a Goddess”

Rita Hayworth, born Margarita Carmen Cansino, on October 17, 1918, Brooklyn, New York, United States and died on May 14, 1987, Manhattan, New York, United States, aged 68.

Rita Hayworth was married five times and all unions ended in divorce. Her first marriage was to American prosecutor Edward C. Judson (1896-1988) from 1937 to 1942; her second marriage was to the controversial American actor, director, writer and producer, considered one of the most versatile artists of the 20th century in the area of theater, radio and cinema, George Orson Welles (1915-1985) from 1943 to 1947, with whom she had a daughter, actress Rebecca Welles (1944-2004); his third marriage was to the Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations, Ali Solomone Aga Khan (1911-1960) from 1949 to 1953, with whom he had one daughter, the Swiss princess Yasmin Aga Khan (1949-), a Swiss-born American, philanthropist, known for increasing public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease; her fourth marriage was to Argentine singer Dick Haymes (1918-1980) from 1953 to 1955; and her fifth and last marriage and divorce was with American film producer and screenwriter James Hill (1916-2001) from 1958 to 1961. During the 26 years until her death, the actress had other casual relationships that were not assumed.

Luise Rainer - ©Theda Bara

The first actress I bring in the year 2024, if she were alive, would turn 114 years old in January, something that wouldn't even be an impossible mission for her, considering she lived a long 104 years.

Her name is Luise Rainer, an actress who lived a long life and enchanted the cinema with great class and elegance. Luise, a German-American-British woman, was the first actress to win two consecutive Oscars for Best Actress. He is considered one of the 500 great cinema legends by the American Film Institute.

As I said, the actress won the Oscar for best actress on two occasions, 1937 and 1938, for her performance in the films: “The Great Ziegfeld” (1936) playing the character “Anna Held” and “The Good Land” (1937) playing a Chinese woman “O-Lan”, having to put on makeup for hours to characterize the character in the saga of the Chinese couple “O-Lan and Wang Lung”, played by Ukrainian actor Paul Muni (1895-1967).

Luise Rainer has her star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at Hollywood Boulevard: 6300, Cinema category.

Luise was born on January 12, 1910, in Düsseldorf, Germany, and died on December 30, 2014, in London, United Kingdom, at the age of 104.

The actress was married twice. Her first marriage was to American playwright, theater director, screenwriter and actor Clifford Odets (1906-1963) from 1937 to 1940; her second and last marriage was to the British editor Robert Knittel (1919-1989) from 1945 to 1989, with whom she had her only daughter, the former New York actress, journalist and writer Francesca Knittel-Bowyer (1946-) who wrote and edited her mother's biography: “Seen from the Wings: Luise Rainer My Mother, The Journey”, in 1989. Luise Rainer was widowed at the age of 79 and continued to live alone.

Bette Davis - ©Theda Bara

The actress I bring in this post is Bette Davis, an American who acted in cinema, television and theater, always brilliantly, especially in films where her talent elevated her to greatness, being recognized and revered for her ability to play unsympathetic characters, in roles of evil and embittered women, which other actresses refused to play.

Bette Davis won the Oscar for best actress on two occasions 1936 and 1939, for her performance in the films: “Dangerous” (1935), playing Joyce Heath and “Jezebel” (1938), playing Julie Marsden, a spoiled young woman engaged to Preston Dillard, played by the actor Henry Fonda (1905-1982), a successful banker.

The actress has several posthumous biographies, but the most complete is: “Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis” (2007).

There is a song about the actress: “Bette Davis Eyes” (1974), by American singer-songwriters Jackie DeShannon (1941-) and Donna Terry Weiss (1944-) Grammy winners in (1982) with this composition, which conveys an idea of not being able to trust the character, not even in the face of her seductive gaze and her exuberant beauty. Now ask yourself how the actress felt about the song: she loved it!

Bette Davis has two stars on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard: 6225, Cinema category and 6335 TV category.

Born Ruth Elizabeth Davis on April 5, 1908, Lowell, Massachusetts, United States, died October 6, 1989, American Hospital of Paris, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, aged 81.

The actress was married four times. Her first marriage was to musician Harmon Oscar Nelson Jr. (1907-1975) from 1932 to 1938; her second marriage was to the American politician Arthur L. Farnsworth (1908-1943) from 1940 to 1943, who died at the age of 35, leaving the actress a widow; her third marriage was to the painter William Grant Sherry (1914-2003) from 1945 to 1950; from whom he separated to marry the American film, theater and television actor Gary Merrill (1915-1990) in the same year, who also separated from his wife Barbara Leeds (1917-1979). Bette and Gary's union lasted ten years, from 1950 to 1960, after this marriage the actress never married again.

The actress had three children: American singer and pastor Barbara Davis Hyman (1947-), daughter of William Grant Sherry; Margot Merrill (1951-2022) and musician Michael Merrill (1952-), both children of Gary Merrill.

Katharine Hepburn - ©Theda Bara

The actress I bring in this post is the American Katharine Hepburn, she is considered by many to be the greatest actress in the history of cinema. Her career in Hollywood lasted more than 60 years, having been nominated twelve times for best actress, winning the Oscar statuette on four occasions (1934 - 1968 - 1969 and 1981), for her performance in the films: “Morning Glory”, 1933, in the role of “Eva Lovelace”; “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, 1967, in the role of “Christina Drayton”; “The Lion in Winter”, from 1968, playing the role of “Eleanor Aquitaine”, the only tie for the Oscar for best actress, having shared the statuette with: Barbra Streisand (1942-); and for his performance in the 1980 movie: “On Golden Pond”, playing the role of “Ethel Thayer”.

Katharine Hepburn has her star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard: at 6284, Cinema category.

Katharine Hepburn's biography was published in 1986, when she turned 79 years old.

Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907, Hartford, Connecticut, United States, and died on June 29, 2003, Fenwick, Old Saybrook, Connecticut, United States, aged 96.

The actress was married to Philadelphia businessman, Ludlow Ogden Smith (1899-1979), president of OGden Ludlow Inc., from 1928 to 1934, from whom she separated to live a 30-year romance with American actor Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (1900-1967) winner of two consecutive awards, Oscar for Best Actor (1938 and 1939), married to socialite Louise Ten Broeck Tracy (1896-1983), that the actor never separated to take over his relationship with Katharine, living with Louise Until she became a widow, on June 10, 1967.

Gene Kelly - ©Theda Bara

Gene Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, director, producer, screenwriter and choreographer, and that is the name I present on my blog. Gene became famous in Hollywood for his distinctive dancing style combined with his beauty and elegance. His greatest moment in cinema was in the musical “Singing in the Rain” (1962), playing the character “Don Lockwood”, because who doesn't remember the iconic scene of the lamppost with an umbrella in his hand?

The actor began having hair loss problems at a young age, which is why he had to resort to wearing a wig during filming.

Gene Kelly’s main awards are: Honorary Oscar in 1952, for the film: “An American in Paris” (1951); Primetime Emmy Award for Best Children’s Series in 1967: “Jack and the Beanstalk”; Three Golden Globes: Best Film Promoting International Understanding 1958, “An American in Paris” (1951), Best Director of a Television Series: “Hello, Dolly” 1970 and Honorary Golden Globe “Cecil B. DeMille” 1981.

Gene Kelly has his star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard: at 6153, Cinema category.

Gene Kelly has a post-mortem biography, written in 2020, that magnificently covers all phases of his life and artistic career: “Gene Kelly: The Making of a Creative Legend”.

Born Eugene Curran Kelly on August 23, 1912, East Liberty, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, and died on February 2, 1996, Beverly Hills, California, United States, aged 83.

The actor was married 3 times. His first marriage was to the American actress Betsy Blair (1923-2009), from 1941 to 1957, with whom he has a daughter Kerry Kelly (1942-); his second marriage was to American Jeanne Coyne, a dancer, choreographer and Broadway actress (1923-1973), from 1960 to 1973, with whom he had two children, actor Timothy Kelly (1962-) and Bridget Kelly (1963-); his third and last marriage was to author Patricia Ward Kelly (1946-), from 1990 to 1996.

Mary Tyler Moore - ©Theda Bara

The actress I bring in this post stood out for years on American TV, CBS channel, on the Sitcom: “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, a series of the comedy genre. And as the name suggests, the actress is Mary Tyler Moore, who debuted on TV on September 19, 1970, with the last episode of the series airing on March 19, 1977, with a total of 168 episodes in almost seven years. 

Mary won six Emmy Awards for this Sitcom and when she debuted in Hollywood, she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in 1981, for: “Ordinary People” (1980), character: “Beth Jarrett”,  but did not win the statuette.

Mary Tyler Moore has her stars on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard: at 7021, category TV.

The actress has two biographies written: the first from (1989) and the definitive 422 pages: “Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Story” (2019), in memoriam.

The actress was born on December 29, 1936, in Brooklyn Heights, New York, United States and died on January 25, 2017, at Greenwich Hospital, Greenwich, Connecticut, United States, aged 81.

Tyler Moore has been married three times. The first with the military Richard Carleton Meeker Sr. - “Dick Meeker” (1927-2013), from 1955 to 1961, with whom he had his only child, western actor Richard Carleton Meeker Jr. - “Richie Meeker” (1956-1980), who died aged 24 from a gunshot wound on a movie set, officially ruled accidental; her second marriage was to NBC CEO Grant Almerin Tinker (1926-2016) from 1962 to 1981; and finally married physician Robert Levine (1954-), from 1983 to 2017 (year of her death). When they married, Levine was 29 and Mary 47.

Stanley Tucci - ©Theda Bara

The actor I present in this post is the American Stanley Tucci, who also acts as a feature film director. Tucci invested for a time in the gastronomic sector, being co-owner of the restaurant “Finch Tavern”, in Croton Falls, New York, United States.

Tucci has acted in a large number of films, ranging from drama, through comedy, action and science fiction, known for his participation in the films: “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006), film based on the homonymous book by (2003) , by the American writer Lauren Weinberger (1977-) and “The Terminal” (2004), directed by Steven Spielberg (1946-). But the peak of his career came in 2009, when he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for: “The Lovely Bones”, but did not win. Stanley Tucci has won 2 Emmys and 2 Golden Globes for his performances in film and TV.

Stanley Tucci unfortunately still doesn’t have a star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame.

The actor wrote a memoir: “Taste: My Life Through Food” (2021), where he reveals, among other things, that he had tongue cancer that almost ended his life, having to be fed by tube.

Stanley Tucci Jr., was born in Peekskill, New York, United States, on November 11, 1960 and grew up in neighboring Katonah. His parents, writer Joan Née Tropiano (1935-) and Stanley Tucci Sr. (1930-2003), art teacher at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York, are of Italian descent, with roots in Calabria. Tucci is the oldest of three children; being the brother of artistic musical agent, Gina Tucci (1962-) and Christine Tucci Angell (1967-), who is also an actress. During the early 1970s, the family spent a year living in Florence, Italy.

Stanley Tucci was married twice, becoming a widower from his first marriage to Kate Tucci (1962- 2009), who already had two children: Matteo Oliver (1995-) and Emilia Giovanna (1998-) and had twins with Tucci: Isabel Concetta Tucci and Nicolo Robert Tucci (2000-). The marriage took place from 1995 to 2009. In 2002 Tucci separated from Kate, having an affair with the American actress Edie Falco (1963-), with whom he acted on Broadway, in the play: “Frankie and Johnny”, but the affair ended in less than a year and he returned to his wife and children. Three years after being widowed, in 2012, he married the British talent agent of Curtis Brown Incorporation, Felicity Blunt (1980-), with whom he has a daughter: Camilla Tucci (2002-). Stanley and Curtis have been married for 11 years and live in Barnes, London, England.

Lionel Barrymore - ©Theda Bara

The name I present in this post is Lionel Barrymore, who was a film and theater actor from the United States, who debuted on stage as a child, being one of the first and best known theater actors to also act in cinema, where he starred in 250 films, many of them still in silent films. The actor was also very successful on the radio.

Among the talkies, he acted in the classic: “It's a Wonderful Life” (1946). But his big moment in Hollywood came 15 years earlier, when he played the alcoholic lawyer “Stephen Ashe”, which earned him the Oscar for best actor in 1931, for his performance in the film: “A Free Soul” (from the same year).

Lionel Barrymore is the great-uncle of actress Drew Barrymore (1980-) and tells the family story in the memoir: “We Barrymore's”, released in (1951).

The actor has a star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at 1724 Vine Street, in the Cinema category.

Lionel Barrymore, born: Lionel Herbert Blythe Barrymore, on April 28, 1878, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, died on November 15, 1954, in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, United States, aged 76.

Barrymore was married to two American women, first the stage actress Doris Rankin (1887-1947), from 1904 to 1923; whom he divorced to marry the silent film actress Irene Fenwick (1887-1936) from 1923 to 1936. After being widowed he never wanted to marry again.

Alice Guy-Blaché - ©Theda Bara

This name I present is that of a pioneer of the seventh art. Alice Guy-Blaché was the first director and screenwriter of fiction films in French cinema. She released her first work: “La fée du chou” (1896), being a visionary in the use of the chronophone to synchronize sound and image. Alice also pioneered film coloring, hiring interracial casting, and using special effects in scenes.

She was born in Saint-Mandé, France, on July 1, 1873 and died in the United States, in Wayne, New Jersey, on March 24, 1968, aged 94.

Alice was married to the British-born American producer and screenwriter: Herbert Reginald Gaston Blaché-Bolton (1882-1953), from 1907 to 1922.

She left a 236-page written autobiography: “Les mémoires d’Alice Guy Blaché, Autobiographie d’une pionnière du cinéma”, published posthumously in (1976).