Rosalind Russell

Info

Role

Writer | Actress

Date of birth

06/04/1907

Date of death

11/28/1976

Place of birth

Waterbury, Connecticut, USA

Awards

5 wins & 5 nominations

Rosalind Russell

Biography

The middle of seven children, she was named, not for the heroine of "As You Like It" but for the S.S. Rosalind on which her parents had sailed, at the suggestion of her father, a successful lawyer. After receiving a Catholic school education, she went to the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York, having convinced her mother that she intended to teach acting. In 1934, with some stock company work and a little Broadway experience, she was tested and signed by Universal. Simultaneously, MGM tested her and made her a better offer. When she plead ignorance of Hollywood (while wearing her worst-fitting clothes), Universal released her and she signed with MGM for seven years. For some time she was used in secondary roles and as a replacement threat to limit Myrna Loy's salary demands. Knowing she was right for comedy, she tested five times for the role of Sylvia Fowler in The Women (1939). George Cukor told her to "play her as a freak". She did and got the part. Her "boss lady" roles began with the part of reporter Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday (1940), through whose male lead, Cary Grant, she met her future husband, Grant's house-guest at the time. In her forties, she returned to the stage, touring "Bell, Book and Candle" in 1951 and winning a Tony Award for "Wonderful Town" in 1953. Columbia, worried the public would think she had the female lead in Picnic (1955), billed her "co-starring Rosalind Russell as Rosemary." She refused to be placed in the Best Supporting Actress category when Columbia Pictures wanted to promote her for an Academy Award nomination for her role in Picnic (1955). Many felt she would have won had she cooperated. "Auntie Mame" kept her on Broadway for two years followed by the movie version. Oscar nominations: My Sister Eileen (1942), Sister Kenny (1946), Mourning Becomes Electra (1947), and Auntie Mame (1958). In 1972, she received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for contributions to charity.

Known For

His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday

8.1
8.1
Auntie Mame

Auntie Mame

7.9
7.9
Gypsy

Gypsy

7.1
7.1
The Women

The Women

7.0
7.0

Filmography

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Movies

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Acting
Role: Doris Reed
His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday

8.1
8.1
Acting
Role: Hildy Johnson
The Half of It

The Half of It

7.2
7.2
Acting
Role: Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
The Women

The Women

7.0
7.0
Acting
Role: Mrs. Howard Fowler (Sylvia)
Auntie Mame

Auntie Mame

7.9
7.9
Acting
Role: Mame Dennis
Picnic

Picnic

7.0
7.0
Acting
Role: Rosemary the Schoolteacher
Gypsy

Gypsy

7.1
7.1
Acting
Role: Rose Hovick
Acting
Role: Mother Superior
Night Must Fall

Night Must Fall

7.2
7.2
Acting
Role: Olivia GHRayne
China Seas

China Seas

6.9
6.9
Acting
Role: Sybil
The Citadel

The Citadel

7.0
7.0
Acting
Role: Christine
Acting
Role: Mother Superior
Evelyn Prentice

Evelyn Prentice

6.9
6.9
Acting
Role: Mrs. Nancy Harrison
Acting
Role: Ruth Sherwood
Acting
Role: Mrs. Howard Fowler - Sylvia (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
Acting
Role: Valerie Stanton
Acting
Role: Eleanor
Reckless

Reckless

6.4
6.4
Acting
Role: Josephine (Jo) Mercer
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Series

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Shows

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