Susan Hayward

Susan Hayward was an American actress renowned for her intense dramatic performances and striking red hair, which made her a major star of Classical Hollywood cinema. After a difficult start in New York City, she achieved fame in Hollywood during the 1940s, often portraying strong-willed, tragic women. Her career pinnacle came with a long-awaited Academy Award for Best Actress win for I Want to Live! (1958), cementing her legacy as one of the era's finest dramatic actresses. Hayward's personal life, marked by highly publicized struggles, often mirrored the resilience of the characters she portrayed on screen.

Early life and career

Born Edythe Marrenner in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, she was the daughter of a Coney Island barker and grew up during the Great Depression. Aspiring to be an actress, she worked as a magazine model and took small roles in Broadway productions before traveling to Los Angeles for a screen test at Warner Bros. in 1937. Although she lost the coveted role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind to Vivien Leigh, the publicity brought her to the attention of studio executives. She signed a contract with Paramount, changed her name to Susan Hayward, and began appearing in supporting roles in films like Beau Geste (1939) and Adam Had Four Sons (1941), slowly building her craft and screen presence.

Breakthrough and stardom

Hayward's breakthrough into major stardom came with a series of potent dramatic performances in the post-World War II era. She earned her first Academy Award nomination for playing an alcoholic nightclub singer in Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman (1947), a role that established her template for tormented, determined women. This was quickly followed by another Oscar-nominated turn as the tragic Ada Lester in the William Faulkner adaptation The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1952). During this period, she starred in successful films across genres, including the biblical epic David and Bathsheba (1951) with Gregory Peck and the film noir The Lusty Men (1952) opposite Robert Mitchum. Her commanding performances and fiery persona made her a top box-office draw throughout the early 1950s.

Academy Award success

After four previous nominations, Hayward finally won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her uncompromising performance as convicted murderer Barbara Graham in I Want to Live! (1958). Directed by Robert Wise, the film was a stark critique of the death penalty, and Hayward's harrowing, meticulously researched portrayal of a woman facing San Quentin's gas chamber was hailed as a career-defining achievement. This victory solidified her reputation for fearless, all-in commitment to demanding roles. She continued to deliver acclaimed work, receiving a Golden Globe for Ada (1961) and starring in the lavish Cecil B. DeMille production The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and the family drama The Conqueror (1956).

Later career and personal life

Hayward's later film career included roles in The Honey Pot (1967) and the disaster film Airport 1975 (1974). She also ventured successfully into television, winning acclaim and an Emmy Award nomination for her role in the 1972 film The Letters. Her personal life was turbulent and widely covered by the Hollywood press. Her first marriage to actor Jess Barker ended in a bitter, public divorce and custody battle over their twin sons. She found greater happiness in her second marriage to Georgia businessman Floyd Eaton Chalkley, but was widowed in 1966. Hayward was also a staunch conservative and an active supporter of the Republican Party, campaigning for Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

Death and legacy

After a long battle with brain cancer, Hayward died in 1975 at her home in Hollywood; she was interred at Carrollton, Georgia, next to her second husband. For her contributions to the motion picture industry, she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Remembered for her potent combination of glamour and grit, Hayward is celebrated as a classic example of a Hollywood star who fought for and earned recognition as a serious dramatic artist. Her filmography, particularly her Academy Award-winning performance, continues to be studied for its emotional intensity and technical mastery.

Category:American film actresses Category:Academy Award winners