Sandy Dennis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sandy Dennis
Born	Sandra Dale Dennis (1937-04-27)April 27, 1937 Hastings, Nebraska, U.S.
Died	March 2, 1992(1992-03-02) (aged 54) Westport, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1956–1991
Partner(s)	Gerry Mulligan (1965–1974) Eric Roberts (1980–1985)

Sandy Dennis (born April 27, 1937 – died March 2, 1992) was a famous American actress. She started her movie career in the drama Splendor in the Grass (1961). She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).

Sandy Dennis also acted in many other films. These include Up the Down Staircase (1967) and The Out-of-Towners (1970). Her last movie was the crime drama The Indian Runner (1991).

She had a very successful career on stage too. She won two Tony Awards for her acting in plays. These plays were A Thousand Clowns and Any Wednesday.

Sandy Dennis was also known for loving animals. She often rescued stray cats. When she passed away, she was living with more than 20 cats. Her friends helped find new homes for them.

Early Life of Sandy Dennis

Sandy Dennis was born in Hastings, Nebraska. Her mother was a secretary and her father worked for the postal service. She grew up in Kenesaw, Nebraska, and Lincoln, Nebraska.

She finished high school in Lincoln in 1955. After that, she went to college for a short time. At age 19, she moved to New York City to study acting. She trained at a well-known acting school there.

Sandy Dennis's Acting Career

Starting Out in Acting

Sandy Dennis first appeared on television in 1956. It was in a soap opera called The Guiding Light.

She got an important early chance on Broadway. She was an understudy in a play called The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1957). The director of this play, Elia Kazan, later gave her a small part in her first movie, Splendor in the Grass (1961).

Sandy Dennis also acted on Broadway in Face of a Hero (1960). Even though the play didn't run for long, her acting was praised. Another play, The Complaisant Lover (1961–62), was more successful.

Becoming a Broadway Star

Sandy Dennis became very famous on Broadway. This happened with her main role in the play A Thousand Clowns (1962–63). She won a Tony Award for her performance in this play.

During this time, she also appeared in TV shows. These included Naked City and The Fugitive. She then starred in the Broadway comedy Any Wednesday (1964–66). This play ran for a very long time and earned her a second Tony Award.

Becoming a Film Star

Sandy Dennis's second movie role was in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). She played Honey, a nervous young wife. The movie was a huge success. Sandy Dennis won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role.

She returned to the stage for The Three Sisters (1966). This play was also made into a film.

Her first main role in a movie was in Up the Down Staircase (1967). Critics praised her acting as "natural, sensitive, and moving." This movie was very popular. So was The Fox (1967). In 1967, she was one of the biggest stars in the U.S.

She briefly returned to Broadway in Daphne in Cottage D (1967). She then starred in Sweet November (1968). She also made a TV movie version of the play A Hatful of Rain (1968).

Sandy Dennis went to London for the movie A Touch of Love (1969). This movie was not successful. Neither was That Cold Day in the Park (1969). However, The Out-of-Towners (1970), a comedy with Jack Lemmon, was a big hit.

Television and Supporting Roles

Sandy Dennis made a TV movie called Only Way Out Is Dead (1970). She then returned to Broadway for How the Other Half Loves (1971). This play ran for over 100 shows. She also did another TV movie, Something Evil (1972), directed by Steven Spielberg.

A Broadway play called Let Me Hear You Smile (1973) only ran for one night. But Absurd Person Singular (1974–76) was a huge success. It ran for 591 performances.

In 1974, she played Joan of Arc in a TV pilot. She was in Mr. Sycamore (1975) and had a small part in the horror film God Told Me To (1976). Her acting in the British comedy Nasty Habits (1977) received some criticism.

Sandy Dennis appeared in the TV show Police Story (1978). She also starred in the TV movies Perfect Gentlemen (1979) and Wilson's Reward (1981). On Broadway, she joined the cast of the popular play Same Time, Next Year.

She had a well-liked role in Alan Alda's movie The Four Seasons (1981). She was also in the stage play and movie version of Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982).

Later Career

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Sandy Dennis acted less often. This was due to health issues. She appeared on TV in Young People's Specials (1985) and The Love Boat (1985). She also had supporting roles in movies like Woody Allen's Another Woman (1988). She was in the horror films 976-EVIL (1989) and Parents (1989).

Her very last role was in the crime drama The Indian Runner. This movie was filmed in 1990 and released in 1991. It was the first movie directed by Sean Penn.

Death

Sandy Dennis passed away on March 2, 1992. She was 54 years old. She died from ovarian cancer at her home in Westport, Connecticut.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

See also

In Spanish: Sandy Dennis para niños