Susan Hayward
“A fierce, red-haired dramatic talent who specialized in women of grit and survival.”
After four previous Academy Award nominations, Susan Hayward finally won the Best Actress Oscar in 1959 for her searing portrayal of condemned murderer Barbara Graham in 'I Want to Live!' (1958). The triumph crowned a hard-fought rise from Brooklyn model to one of Hollywood's most respected dramatic stars.
Brooklyn to Hollywood
Born Edythe Marrener in Brooklyn, she modeled before heading west for a 'Gone with the Wind' screen test. Renamed Susan Hayward, she spent years in supporting parts before breaking through.
The Long Road to Gold
Hayward built a reputation for intense, emotional performances, earning four Oscar nominations across a decade. Her portrayal of doomed inmate Barbara Graham in 'I Want to Live!' finally won her the Academy Award.
Legacy
A red-haired star known for fierce, resilient heroines, Hayward remained a top draw into the 1960s. She died of brain cancer in 1975 at age fifty-seven.
Career Timeline
- 1917Born Edythe Marrener in Brooklyn, New York
- 1937Screen-tests for 'Gone with the Wind'
- 1939Film debut in 'Beau Geste' era Hollywood
- 1947First Oscar nomination for 'Smash-Up'
- 1949Nominated for 'My Foolish Heart'
- 1952Nominated for 'With a Song in My Heart'
- 1955Nominated for 'I'll Cry Tomorrow'
- 1958Stars in 'I Want to Live!'
- 1959Wins Best Actress Academy Award
- 1975Dies of brain cancer in Hollywood
Biggest Hits
- Hayward was a finalist to play Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone with the Wind' early in her career.
- She earned four Best Actress nominations before finally winning on her fifth try.
The Moment You Remember
In I Want to Live!, Susan Hayward portrays the final hours of a woman awaiting execution, her courage and terror laid bare without sentimentality. The unflinching performance won her the Academy Award and remains a high-water mark of dramatic intensity.
Portrait: 20th Century Fox (studio publicity still) · Public Domain · via Wikimedia Commons