Beatrice Straight facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beatrice Straight
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| Born |
Beatrice Whitney Straight
August 2, 1914 Old Westbury, New York, U.S.
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| Died | April 7, 2001 (aged 86) |
| Resting place | William Henry Lee Memorial Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1939–1991 |
| Spouse(s) |
Louis Dolivet
(m. 1942; div. 1949)Peter Cookson
(m. 1949; |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Willard Dickerman Straight Dorothy Payne Whitney |
| Relatives | Whitney W. Straight (brother) Michael W. Straight (brother) |
Beatrice Whitney Straight (born August 2, 1914 – died April 7, 2001) was an American actress. She was famous for her work in theatre, movies, and television. Beatrice was also a member of the well-known Whitney family. She won an Academy Award and a Tony Award, and was also nominated for an Emmy Award.
Beatrice Straight made her first appearance on Broadway in a play called The Possessed in 1939. She played many important roles in theatre, like Viola in Twelfth Night and Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible. For her role in The Crucible in 1953, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
She also starred in the movie Network in 1976. For this role, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her performance in Network was very short, only five minutes and two seconds long! This is the shortest performance ever to win an Oscar for acting. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award for the TV miniseries The Dain Curse in 1978. You might also remember her from movies like The Nun's Story (1959) and Poltergeist (1982).
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Early Life and Education
Beatrice Whitney Straight was born in Old Westbury, New York. Her mother was Dorothy Payne Whitney from the famous Whitney family. Her father, Willard Dickerman Straight, was a banker and a diplomat. Her grandfather was a political leader named William Collins Whitney.
When Beatrice was four years old, her father sadly died in France during World War I. He passed away from the Spanish flu, a big sickness that spread around the world. In 1925, her mother married again to Leonard K. Elmhirst, who studied farming. After this, Beatrice and her family moved to Devon, England.
In England, Beatrice went to school at Dartington Hall. This is where she started acting in plays put on by students and local groups. Later, in the 1930s, she went to the Cornish School in Seattle, USA. She and her mother became big supporters of this school.
Acting Career Highlights
Beatrice Straight returned to the United States and started her professional acting career. Her first show on Broadway was The Possessed in 1939. She often acted in classic plays. Some of her famous theatre roles include parts in Twelfth Night (1941) and Macbeth (1948). She won a Tony Award for her role as Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible (1953).
Beatrice was also one of the first members of the Actors Studio. This was a special place where actors like Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift learned and practiced their craft together.
Television and Film Work
Beatrice Straight was very active in the early days of television. She appeared in many popular TV shows. These included Armstrong Circle Theatre, Hallmark Hall of Fame, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. She also had roles in dramatic series like Dr. Kildare and Mission: Impossible. She even played Hippolyta in the Wonder Woman show.
In movies, Beatrice is best known for her role as a heartbroken wife in Network (1976). Even though she was only on screen for a short time, her acting was highly praised. This led to her winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Another well-known movie role was Dr. Martha Lesh, a paranormal investigator, in the horror film Poltergeist (1982). Her final film role was in Deceived in 1991.
Personal Life
On February 22, 1942, Beatrice Straight married Louis Dolivet. He was a leader in the Free French movement during World War II. At the time, Beatrice was touring with the play Twelfth Night. Her mother and stepfather, along with her brother Michael Straight, attended the wedding. Beatrice and Louis had one child together, Willard Whitney Straight Dolivet. They divorced in 1949.
Later in 1948, while acting in the Broadway play The Heiress, she met Peter Cookson. They got married in 1949 and stayed together until Peter's death in 1990. Peter had two children from a previous marriage. Beatrice and Peter had two children together: Gary Cookson and Anthony "Tony" Cookson.
Beatrice Straight passed away on April 7, 2001, at the age of 86. She died from pneumonia in Northridge, Los Angeles. She was buried in the William Henry Lee Memorial Cemetery in New Marlborough, Massachusetts.
Images for kids
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Beatrice Straight
See also
In Spanish: Beatrice Straight para niños
