Legendary stage actress Eva Le Gallienne's life began just as grandly as the daughter of poet Richard Le Gallienne. Sarah Bernhardt was her idol growing up and, at age 18, was brought to New York by her mother. Making her London debut with "Monna Vanna" in 1914, she proved a star in every sense of the word. She appeared on Broadway first in "Liliom" in 1921 and lastly at the Biltmore Theatre in 1981 with "To Grandmother's House We Go," which won her a Tony nomination at age 82. Noted for her extreme boldness and idealism, she became a director and muse for theatre's top playwrights, a foremost translator of 'Henrik Ibsen' , for which she received an Oscar nomination.
Special Tony in 1964 for body of work.
Naturalized U.S. citizen.
Among her many awards: Won a Pulitzer Prize for her production of "Alisons House" by Susan Glaspell; the National Medal of Arts from President Reagan, and the Norwegian Grand Cross for her furthering the presentation of plays by Ibsen.
Received a Special Tony Award in 1964 "celebrating her 50th year as an actress, honored for her work with the National Repertory Theatre.for body of work." She was also nominated as Best Actress (Play) in 1981 for "To Grandmothers House We Go."
She was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1986 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.
Shares some similarities with actress Jessica Tandy. Both were born in England but made their career in U.S. and their first Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category came at the age 82 (but Tandy already have won one in 1990 while Eva was only nominated once).
Innovators are inevitably controversial.
Innovators are inevitably controversial.
What does so-called success or failure matter if only you have succeeded in doing the thing you set out to do. The doing is all that really counts.
What does so-called success or failure matter if only you have succeeded in doing the thing you set out to do. The doing is all that really counts.
Innovators are inevitably controversial.
People who are born even-tempered placid and untroubled-secure from violent passions or temptations to evil-those who have never needed to struggle all night with the angel to emerge lame but victorious at dawn never become great saints. .
