Barbara Hershey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barbara Hershey
Hershey in 2016
Born	Barbara Lynn Herzstein (1948-02-05) February 5, 1948 (age 77) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Barbara Seagull
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1965–present
Spouse(s)	Stephen Douglas ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 1993)​
Partner(s)	David Carradine (1968–1975) Naveen Andrews (1998–2009)
Children	1

Barbara Lynn Herzstein, known professionally as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. She has had a long career, acting for over 50 years. She has appeared in many types of movies and TV shows, including westerns, comedies, and dramas.

Hershey started acting when she was 17. She became very well-known in the 1980s. The Chicago Tribune once called her "one of America's finest actresses."

She has won many awards for her acting. She won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the TV movie A Killing in a Small Town (1990). She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for playing Mary Magdalene in the movie The Last Temptation of Christ (1988).

For her role in The Portrait of a Lady (1996), she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has also won two Best Actress awards at the famous Cannes Film Festival. She won for the movies Shy People (1987) and A World Apart (1988).

Some of her other famous movies include Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and the drama Beaches (1988). More recently, she was in the popular movie Black Swan (2010).

Early life

Barbara Lynn Herzstein was born in Hollywood, California. Her father, Arnold Nathan Herzstein, wrote about horse racing. Her mother was Melrose Herzstein. Her father's family came from Hungary and Russia, and her mother's family was from Arkansas and had Scots-Irish roots.

Barbara was the youngest of three children. She always dreamed of being an actress. Her family even gave her the nickname "Sarah Bernhardt" after a famous actress. She was shy at school and so quiet that some people thought she couldn't hear. But by age 10, she was an "A" student.

Her high school drama teacher helped her find an agent. In 1965, when she was 17, she got a part in the TV show Gidget, which starred Sally Field.

Career

Starting Out in the 1960s

Hershey and Mark Slade in the TV Western The High Chaparral (1968)

After appearing on Gidget, Hershey starred in a TV series called The Monroes in 1966. It was during this time she started using the stage name "Barbara Hershey." She also appeared in the movie With Six You Get Eggroll with Doris Day.

In 1969, she acted in the Western movie Heaven with a Gun. On the set, she met actor David Carradine, and they began a relationship. That same year, she was in a drama called Last Summer. The movie was considered controversial at the time. Her co-star Catherine Burns was nominated for an Oscar for her performance.

During the filming of Last Summer, an event with a bird made a big impact on her. She felt responsible for the bird's death and changed her stage name to "Barbara Seagull" as a tribute. This name change was unusual and not everyone liked it.

Acting in the 1970s

In 1970, Hershey starred in The Baby Maker, a movie about a woman who helps another couple have a baby. Critics praised her acting in the film.

She later said that making the movie Boxcar Bertha (1972) was "the most fun I ever had on a movie." The film also starred her partner, David Carradine, and was one of the first movies directed by the famous Martin Scorsese. Hershey introduced Scorsese to the book that would later become his movie The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), which she also starred in.

By the mid-1970s, Hershey wanted to be recognized for her own work. She won an award at the Atlanta Film Festival for her role in the movie Love Comes Quietly. After her relationship with Carradine ended, she changed her name back to Hershey. For the rest of the decade, she acted in several TV movies.

Success in the 1980s

Barbara Hershey in a publicity photo from 1981

Hershey's career grew in the 1980s. She appeared in the movie The Stunt Man (1980), which earned her good reviews. She felt this movie was a turning point, helping her move from playing younger characters to more mature roles.

Some of her important roles during this time include:

• The Right Stuff (1983), where she played Glennis Yeager, the wife of pilot Chuck Yeager.
• The Natural (1984), where she co-starred with Robert Redford.
• Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), a popular Woody Allen movie that earned her a nomination for a BAFTA award.
• Hoosiers (1986), a famous basketball movie where she starred with Gene Hackman.

She won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival two years in a row. First for Shy People (1987), and then for A World Apart (1988). In A World Apart, she played a real-life activist named Ruth First. She also starred with Bette Midler in the popular movie Beaches (1988).

Films of the 1990s

In 1990, Hershey won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing Candy Morrison in the TV movie A Killing in a Small Town. The movie was based on a famous true story.

She continued to work in both movies and television. She starred in the thriller Defenseless (1991) and played the wife of Michael Douglas's character in Falling Down (1993).

One of her most celebrated roles was in The Portrait of a Lady (1996). For her performance, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. From 1999 to 2000, she had a recurring role on the medical TV show Chicago Hope.

2000s and 2010s

In the 2000s, Hershey appeared in the Australian thriller Lantana (2001). She also played the grown-up Anne Shirley in the TV movie Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning (2008).

In 2010, she played the mother of Natalie Portman's character in the award-winning film Black Swan. The next year, she starred in the horror movie Insidious (2011) and returned for its sequels.

From 2012 to 2016, she played the role of Cora, the Queen of Hearts, in the popular ABC fantasy series Once Upon a Time. She also appeared in the TV series Damien in 2016.

Recent Work

Hershey has continued to act in recent years. Her newer films include The Manor (2021) and 9 Bullets (2022).

Personal life

Hershey at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010

In 1968, Hershey met actor David Carradine on the set of Heaven with a Gun. They were in a relationship until 1975. In 1972, they had a son, who later changed his name to Tom. The relationship ended after a few years.

During this time, Hershey felt that her public image sometimes made it difficult for her to get certain acting roles. She later said, "I have always been serious about my acting career." After she and Carradine separated, she changed her stage name from "Seagull" back to "Hershey."

On August 8, 1992, Hershey married artist Stephen Douglas. They divorced a year later.

In 1999, she began a relationship with actor Naveen Andrews. They were together for about ten years before announcing their separation in 2010.

Filmography

A list of some of Barbara Hershey's most well-known movies and TV shows.

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Barbara Hershey para niños