Best of the Best: Leading Ladies Quiz

Born April 8, 1892, in Toronto, Canada, Mary Pickford, often called America's Sweetheart, was a star of the silent era of movies. Her family was impoverished, and her father's death when she was five years old, along with her mother's subsequent screams, disturbed her so much that she was not able to attend school or learn to read until later in life.

Two years later, while living in her grandmother's boarding house, Mary was cast in one of the boarder's plays. By 1901, Mary, her mother, and two siblings moved to the United States, hoping to break into theater. This is when Mary learned to read and write. Her life changed dramatically when Mary met D.W. Griffith in 1909. He agreed to pay her twice the going rate for actresses with a guarantee of a $40 a week paycheck while working for the Biograph Company; she was on her way to becoming a star! In 1909 she appeared in 51 shorts.

Pickford had great success while transitioning from shorts to feature films. Her movie, "Tess of the Storm Country" (1914) was a big hit, but with "Coquette" (1929), her first sound film, she struck gold; she won her only Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Norma Besant. Norma was a southern Belle who had many beaus. Her father, however, felt she choose the wrong one, a poor guy named Michael. After rumors began to circulate that Norma and Michael had been involved in a compromising situation, her father shot and killed Michael, and she had to decide whether to tell the truth or lie at his trial.

Altogether it is estimated that Mary Pickford appeared in 250-276 films between 1909 and 1933, when she retired. As an actress she demanded that she should have more creative control, and was able to negotiate a high salary for the time, being the first actress to negotiate a million dollar contract with Paramount Pictures. In 1919 she was a co-founder of United Artists, and in 1927 she was also one of the original founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 1976 for her lifelong contributions before passing away in 1979.

Often called the First Lady of the Theatre, Helen Hayes, was born in Washington, D.C., on October 10, 1900. It apparently helped to have a mother who was an aspiring actress. Helen's stage career began at the Belasco Theatre across from the White House when she was five years old. She attended primary school at Dominican Academy, and appeared in plays there; in 1910 she appeared in her first film - a silent production called "Jean and the Calico Doll".

Hayes won a Best Actress Oscar in 1932 for "The Sin of Madelon Claudet", which was her sound debut. She played Madelon, a French woman who was abandoned by her American lover when he had to return home. Pregnant and accused of a crime she did not commit, Madelon was forced to leave her child with friends after being incarcerated. Several years later, after being released from prison, she pretended to be a family friend, paying for his medical school tuition with shady dealings.

The Triple Crown of Acting is a term that is used by the entertainment industry to describe an actor who has won Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Awards. Hayes was the first woman to win the prestigious award; the first man did so a little over a month later. In addition, she was the first woman to earn an EGOT. During her long career Hayes won two Emmy Awards, three Tony Awards, a Grammy, and two Academy Awards; the second was for Best Supporting Actress in "Airport" (1971). Involved in many efforts to both donate and raise money for many causes, she also provided funding which what eventually became known as the Helen Hayes Hospital in New York. Hayes died in 1993.

Katharine Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut, to parents who ardently fought for social causes and change; they are credited with fostering her outspoken and independent personality. Her brother's death when she was thirteen years old left her a recluse; she was educated at home and only enrolled at Bryn Mawr College to please her mother. Katharine's main interest there was the theater, but good grades were needed in order to participate. She was given more opportunities to perform when her grades improved, and in her senior year, after being given a lead role in "The Woman in the Moon", she decided to pursue a career in theater. It was quite a bumpy road for her, as she was fired a lot. She was too athletic, too independent, and her voice was too shrill. Finally, in 1932, she finally held her job in "The Warrior's Husband", and received positive reviews.

Hepburn's third film, "Morning Glory" (1933), definitely launched her career, and she won a Best Actress Oscar for the role. In the movie she played Eva Lovelace, a girl from a small town who wanted to be successful on Broadway and was willing to work hard to fulfill that ambition. The inspiration for the title, a morning glory flower, was a good choice, as the plot of the movie revealed that success could be brief, just like the life of the flower.

Nominated twelves times for the Best Actress Academy Award, Hepburn won an amazing four times. She is known for having forged her own path in Hollywood, controlling her future and refusing to give in to studio demands; some say she pioneered the idea that it was okay for women to be strong-willed. One journalist wrote that she was "the patron saint of the independent American female". And - don't forget - she made wearing trousers popular for women, which was considered quite a radical idea!

Born on August 29, 1915, in Stockholm, Sweden, Ingrid Bergman had a German mother, who died when she was two, and Swedish father, who was a photographer. He took copious pictures of her while growing up, but died when she was fourteen. After that, she lived with different relatives, moving from place to place. She received a scholarship to the Royal Dramatic Training Academy in Sweden, where, after just a few months of training, she received a part in a play, something that was previously only available after three years of attendance. Bergman left the school after her first year to embark on her career as an actress.

Bergman's work in the movie "Gaslight" (1944) earned her the Best Actress Oscar. In the movie, she played Paula, who inherited her opera-singer aunt's possessions in London after she was murdered. While studying music in Italy, she quickly married her accompanist, Gregory, and they moved back to London, and lived in her aunt's house. There, Gregory manipulated her into thinking that she was going insane so that he could steal her aunt's jewelry.

Ingrid Bergman went on to win the Triple Crown of Acting, and a total of three Academy Awards for Best Actress, a Tony War, four Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. She campaigned against racial segregation, as she had witnessed it first hand while performing, and she also performed for troops during WWII. Fluent in five languages, she starred in films in both the United States and Europe.

Marilyn Monroe was born June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. She seems to have had a happy childhood, albeit one without a father, until her mother's breakdown in 1934; at that time she became a ward of the state. Her legal guardian became Grace Goddard, a friend of her mother's, however, she continued to live between different homes and an orphanage. The Goddard family moved out of California in 1942, and, being a ward of the state, Norma Jean could not move with them; instead, the sixteen year old married her neighbor, James Dougherty, who joined the Merchant Marine shortly after. When he shipped out, Monroe began working in a factory and met David Conover, a photographer; shortly after she signed up with a modeling agency. Even though she was signed to 20th Century Fox (1946) and Columbia Pictures (1948), her roles did not bring immediate success to her.

Monroe's big breakout occurred in the 1950 movies "The Asphalt Jungle" and "All About Eve", and she won a Henrietta Award for Best Young Box Office Personality. In 1953 she had her first roles as a blonde knockout in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "How to Marry a Millionaire", and won the Photoplay Award for Best Actress for both. Finally, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in Comedy or Musical for "Some Like it Hot" (1959). In the movie, Monroe played Sugar Kane, the lead singer in an all-girl jazz band. After two musicians, Joe and Jerry, witnessed a mob murder, they disguised themselves and joined the all-girl band to escape. They befriended Sugar Kane, who told them (while they were disguised) that she had been poorly treated by men. In the end Joe confessed his love for Sugar, who saw through his disguise, and had fallen for him. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, but only won for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.

While one might note that Monroe never won any of the really prestigious acting awards, her popularity has rarely been rivaled. Once called the most photographed person of the 20th century, her brand is still used today in advertising. One of the most successful box office stars of the 1950s, she was named the sixth greatest female screen legend in American history in 2020. In 1954 she co-founded Marilyn Monroe Productions, a film production company, because she wanted more control over her career choices. She openly spoke out about the sexual abuse during her childhood, as well as the harassment she faced in Hollywood. Her death at such a young age - thirty-six - leads one to speculate what more she might have achieved if given the time.

Born in Rome, Italy, on September 20, 1934, Sophia Loren was raised by her mother and grandmother after the family was abandoned by her father. They moved to Pozzuoli, which is closer to Naples and the coast, and were constantly under fire during WWII. They were so poor, a situation that was exacerbated by the war, that she was nicknamed "Toothpick" and "Lampadella" due to her thinness. When Sophia was fourteen she won enough prize money in a beauty contest that she and her mother could move to Rome in order to prepare for and pursue an acting career. She met film producer Carlo Ponti, her future husband, when she was fifteen, and he helped her transform into an international movie star.

Ponti was the producer of "Two Women" (1961), or "La Ciociara", for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award. Loren played Cesira, a widow who left Rome with her daughter during WWII, only to find that the rural areas were not very safe either. Together they overcame some traumatizing experiences.

Loren was the first individual to win an Oscar for a foreign language film. She also won a BAFTA for Best Film Foreign Actress and a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress the same year in 1960. Numerous awards and honors aside, she has served as a representative of Italian culture for years, and, as a businesswoman, has launched her eye wear and fragrance brands. In 1991 Loren was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and group which focuses on raising awareness of global hunger.

Born on April 24, 1942, in New York City, Barbra Streisand's mother was a school secretary and her father a high school teacher. He died a year later, leaving the family impoverished. Her mother worked hard to support her family, and sometimes sang semi-professionally. Barbra loved to sing, and would practice on the stoop or in the hallway of their apartment building. When she was thirteen, she and her mother recorded some songs together on tape. After graduating from Erasmus Hall High School at the age of sixteen, Barbra began to tryout for any job having to do with the stage, enter talent contests, and audition for work in night clubs.

In 1963 her first album, "The Barbra Streisand Album" earned for Streisand her first major award - a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1964. She was nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award for her role in "Funny Girl" in 1968. In the movie she played Fanny Brice, who was a star with "Ziegfeld Follies". Based loosely on the life of real-life comedienne, the film chronicled Brice's rise to fame and her association with her husband.

Since 1964, Streisand has been nominated for almost two hundred major awards. Her list of achievements includes two Academy Awards, ten Grammys, four Primetime Emmys, and a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement, which makes her an EGOT winner in non-competitive categories. Aside from her many awards and accolades, Barbra has also donated to numerous causes through her Barbra Foundation, which was established in 1986. The major causes she supports include environmental protection, medical research, and humanitarian aid. In 2024 she was recognized with a Genesis Prize, for her quest for social justice and dedication to being a "force for good".

Meryl Streep was born June 22, 1949, in Summit, New Jersey, to an artist mother and pharmaceutical executive father; they told her while she was growing up that she could excel in anything she did, but not if she was lazy. While she appeared in high school productions, she really did not become interested in the theater until she was in college. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater, and then continued studying at the Yale School of Drama, where she earned a Master's Degree.

Meryl received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the "Deer Hunter" in 1978, which was followed it up with a win for Best Actress in a Leading Role the following year for "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979). In the movie she played Joanna Kramer, a woman who left her husband and young son because she was not fulfilled by being a stay at home wife and mother. After she left, her husband worked hard to try and make a life for himself and his son, however, after several months Joanna decided she wanted her son to live with her. The couple fought a contentious court battle after which she was awarded custody. Nevertheless, she eventually made the difficult decision to not take her son from his home.

Over her long career, Streep has won three Oscars, eight Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTAs, three Primetime Emmys, and a variety of others. She currently holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations at 21, and the most Golden Globe nominations at 24. Streep also serves as the spokesperson for the National Women's History Museum, which attempts to make the role of women throughout history more prominent. It also makes educational materials available for educators. Along with her husband, Donald Gummer, Streep founded the Silver Mountain Foundation for the Arts in 1983, which supports education, women's rights, social welfare, environmental groups, and a number of nonprofit organizations.

Born June 23, 1957, in Gibson City, Illinois, Frances McDormand was adopted by the McDormand family - a nurse and a pastor, who may have been her biological father - before she was two years old. Pastors' families sometimes move around a lot, and the McCormand family was no exception. Nevertheless, she was able to participate in school plays while growing up. Her early interest in theater led to her earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater at Bethany College, and going on to earn a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama.

McDormand was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1989 for her role in "Mississippi Burning", but had to wait a few more years to win the Oscar for Best Actress in "Fargo" (1996). In the movie she played Marge Gunderson, a police chief whose investigation into the kidnapping of a women led her to a series of murders. Directed by her husband, Joel Coen, "Fargo" was pretty dark, but McDormand's portrayal of a moral, competent cop stood out.

McDormand has achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, and has been nominated for over 300 awards, winning three Academy Awards for Best Actress and one for Best Picture (as a producer), three BAFTAS, two Emmys and a Tony. In addition to being an actor, McDormand is the founder of a production company called Hear/Say Productions. She is a known "champion for authenticity", focusing on gender equity, and often using inclusion riders in her contracts, in which she serves as an advocate for diverse casting and production crews.

Viola Davis was born on August 11, 1965, in St. Matthews, South Carolina, on her grandmother's farm. Shortly after she moved with her parents and two siblings to Central Falls, Rhode Island, where she attended high school. She has said that her love of acting began there. Her talent was discovered while she participated in a Young People's School for the Performing Arts program, and she was able to attend Rhode Island College, where she majored in theater. Afterward she studied at the Julliard School of Performing Arts.

In 1992 Davis began earning roles in plays both on and off Broadway, and appearing in television shows and then movies, winning a Tony in 2001 and an Emmy in 2015. While she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2008, it was not until 2016 that she won the award in the same category for "Fences". Set in the late 1950s, the story followed the family of a Black man, Troy, who faced discrimination and racism his entire life. His bitterness held family members back from reaching their full potential. Davis played his wife, Rose, who became estranged from Troy after he had an affair which left her with a child to raise. The movie was chosen by the American Film Institute as a top ten film of 2016, and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay.

During her career, Davis has been nominated for over 300 awards. She has achieved recognition with both the Triple Crown of Acting and EGOT, the third person to do so. A co-founder of the production company JuVee Productions, Davis is also known for her activism. She has donated money to both Central Falls Library to prevent its closure and to Central Falls High School theater program, and the Vaseline Healing Project, which helps people with skin problems that result from poverty. Davis also works with Hunger Is, which is a group that works toward the elimination of child hunger in the United States.