Greer Garson

Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was a British and American actress and singer. Known for playing graceful, noble, and dignified women in period and war dramas, she quickly rose to popularity during the Golden Age of Hollywood. A top star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM), Garson was among the most popular stars of the 1940s, becoming one of the highest-paid actresses in the United States and Britain. From 1942 to 1946, she was consistently ranked by the Motion Picture Herald as one of America's top box-office draws.

Originally a stage and television actress in her native England, Garson signed a film contract in 1937 with Louis B. Mayer, the then-president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). She found early critical success with her debut film, Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), which earned her her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Following career-elevating performances in the romantic comedy Remember? (1939) and the period drama Pride and Prejudice (1940), Garson starred in a string of commercial and critical successes that earned her a record five consecutive Academy Award nominations for Blossoms in the Dust (1941), Mrs. Miniver (1942), Madame Curie (1943), Mrs. Parkington (1944), and The Valley of Decision (1945). She won once for Mrs. Miniver, the highest-grossing film of 1942.

By the late 1940s Garson's career had begun to decline, though she remained visibly active in film. Her successes during this period include the romantic drama Adventure (1946), the romantic comedy Julia Misbehaves (1948), and the 1953 adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. She made a brief comeback in 1960, portraying first lady Eleanor Roosevelt in the film Sunrise at Campobello, for which she earned her final Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She subsequently made sporadic appearances in film until her death in 1996.

Garson received numerous accolades throughout her career. She garnered seven Academy Award nominations for Best Actress, the fourth most-nominated woman, and received a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, and in 1993, Queen Elizabeth II recognised Garson's achievements by investing her as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).