Greer Garson

Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson was born on September 29, 1904 in London, England, to Nancy Sophia (Greer) and George Garson, a commercial clerk. She was of Scottish and Ulster-Scots descent. Her childhood was a normal if not non-descript life. Greer showed no early signs of interest in becoming an actress. She was educated at the University of London with the intentions of becoming a teacher. Instead, she opted to work with an advertising agency. During this time, she appeared in local theatrical productions gaining a reputation as an extremely talented actress. She was discovered by Louis B. Mayer while he was on a visit to London looking for new talent.

Greer had one step-child, Gayle Fogelson (1934-2017), who was adopted by her husband Buddy E.E. Fogelson after his sister's death.

Signed up by MGM boss Louis B. Mayer after he saw her acting on a London stage. [1937]

In 1938 she suffered malnutrition from embarking on a crash diet to achieve the standard Hollywood slimline figure.

Greer was signed to a contract with MGM and appeared in her first American film in 1939. The movie in question was Goodbye, Mr.

Chips (1939), which won rave reviews and garnered her a nomination as best actress, the first of six nominations. Already, she was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

The following year would see Greer in the highly acclaimed Pride and Prejudice (1940) as "Elizabeth Bennet".

But, through the 1940s, she was constantly typecast in roles that didn't allow for a lot of creativity. MGM felt that the roles she played were sure winners and, for the time being, they were right, but that didn't make Garson feel any better about it.

1941 saw her get a second nomination for her role as Edna Gladney in Blossoms in the Dust (1941). Garson won her first Academy Award for Mrs.

Miniver (1942), a role which she would forever be known by.

As Marie Curie in Madame Curie (1943), she would get another nomination and the same the next year in Mrs.

Parkington (1944). It seemed that any movie she was a part of would surely be a success.

Sure enough, in 1945, she won yet another nomination for her role as "Mary Rafferty" in The Valley of Decision (1945).

In 1946, Greer appeared in Adventure (1945), which was a flop at the box-office.

1947's Desire Me (1947) was no less a disaster.

Her downward spiral stopped in the hit That Forsyte Woman (1949).

The next year, she reprised her role as "Kay Miniver" in The Miniver Story (1950). Unfortunately, it didn't fare too well.

For the remainder of the 1950s, she endured several less-than-appreciated films.

In 1952, she accepted the Oscar for best actress in a leading role on behalf of Vivien Leigh, who wasn't present at the awards ceremony.

She would stay with MGM until 1954.

Replaced Rosalind Russell in the Broadway version of Auntie Mame in 1958.

Then, 1960 found her cast in the role of Eleanor Roosevelt in Sunrise at Campobello (1960). This film was, perhaps, her finest work and landed her seventh Academy Award nomination.

In 1962, she accepted the Oscar for best actress in a leading role on behalf of Sophia Loren, who wasn't present at the awards ceremony.

Her final appearances on the silver screen were in The Singing Nun (1966) as "Mother Prioress" and The Happiest Millionaire (1967). After a few TV movies, Garson retired to the New Mexico ranch she shared with her husband, millionaire Buddy E. E. Fogelson. She concentrated on the environment and other various charities.

By the 1980s, she was suffering from chronic heart problems prompting her to slow down.

In the 1982, she turned down Aaron Spelling's offer of a part in the hit soap Dynasty (1981), playing mother to Joan Collins's Alexis.

Received the Women's International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award in 1990.

She was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1993 Queen's Honours List for her services to drama and entertainment.

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 225-227. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

She was honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month for March 2013.