This perky, talented, blue-eyed redhead had acting aspirations from the get-go. She was born in Brooklyn on June 29, 1925, as Bernice Kamiat, to an Austrian Jewish father and a Russian Jewish mother. Cara began performing as a child and continued into her teens. After her parents' divorce, she relocated with her mother to Hollywood where she attended the Hollywood Professional School and lent her voice to both radio and animated cartoon shorts. At age 16 she was signed by 20th Century-Fox and began to play minor, often unbilled parts in drama, comedy and musicals billing herself as Bernice Kay. Throughout WWII she was always reliable for adding a little pep and zing to her smallish roles. She played various shapely secretaries, salesgirls, girlfriends, etc. in such minor fodder as _Wide Open Town and later displayed a strong business acumen in interior designing and as a champion poker player. She also has one child from her first marriage.
Married to actor John Drew Barrymore from 1952 to 1959.
Mother of John Blyth Barrymore.
Ex-mother-in-law of Rebecca Pogrow and Jacqueline Barrymore.
Grandmother of John Barrymore IV, and Sabrina & Blyth Barrymore, John Jrs children.
As of 2016 she is the 10th earliest surviving recipient of a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination, behind only Olivia de Havilland , Angela Lansbury , Ann Blyth , Nancy Olson , Lee Grant , Terry Moore , Eva Marie Saint , Marisa Pavan and a tied Patty McCormack and Dorothy Malone. She was nominated in 1958 for The Defiant Ones .
Gave birth to her 1st child at age 20, a daughter Cathy Gray on April 15, 1946. Childs father is her 1st ex-husband, Allan Gray.
