And women often had to change their appearances. When the actress visited Tasmania later in life, the press hounded her for details about her upbringing, forcing her to admit that she wasn't born there. She wasn’t solely white nor was she born in Tasmania like actor Errol Flynn, as she told people.

8. When Broadway sensation Carol Channing was 16, her mother let her in on a secret: Channing’s paternal grandmother was black. Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images. Studios went to great lengths to market those images to their audience, sometimes even making up fake backstories for their talent. 11. Ambassador to Mexico. In 1964, Poitier became the first Bahamian and first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field. See more ideas about Black actresses, Black hollywood, Actresses. Getting time off was subject to the studio. Staged photo ops were inevitable, and movie stars were expected to shine when the occasion arose. The Life of Sandra Dee, Actress and Teen Icon, Biography of Cesar Romero, Batman's Original Joker, Biography of D.W. Griffith, Director of 'Birth of a Nation', Biography of Audrey Hepburn, Exquisite and Elegant Actress, 10 Interesting Facts About Misty Copeland, Katharine Hepburn Biography: Classic Hollywood's Independent Star, The Life of Bela Lugosi: Hollywood's Most Famous Dracula, Biography of Clara Bow: Hollywood's Original "It Girl", Biography of Bette Davis, First Lady of the American Screen, M.A.

By Aaron Barksdale. Elizabeth Taylor was known for instigating loans, first actresses to regularly lift weights, 9 Movies To Watch To Understand Old Hollywood, Amal Clooney Stuns in Custom Armani in Florida, Fashion Formulas Inspired by Old Hollywood Icons, 30 Shocking Rules Royals Are Required to Follow. As such, several movie stars who weren’t solely of European heritage worked to adjust their appearances so they ​passed for white in film, their personal lives, or both. They had to be willing to change their names. Some stars, like Elizabeth Taylor, went the extra mile when it came to promoting films. He has Irish and Mexican ancestry and speaks Spanish fluently.

While that film chronicles the plight of a young mixed-race woman who passes for white, Gavin’s mixed-race background is never referenced in that film or in others, despite his dark hair and swarthy skin. Unlike Anthony Quinn, who was also half-Mexican and played characters of various ethnic backgrounds, Gavin consistently played white characters during his tenure in Hollywood. In fact, Bette Davis was suspended by Warner Brothers for turning down roles. August Maturo TV Actor. When Louis B. Mayer, cofounder of MGM, wanted to break his contract with actor John Gilbert, he planted rumors about the star and reportedly intentionally put him in bad movies. Depending on the projects an actor's studio backed and the opportunities they pegged for that star, this stipulation could make or break a career. Starlets often exercised to maintain their physiques, although it wasn't common to talk about it back then. But it did make Nickelodeon history by being the first show to air on the channel featuring a predominantly black cast. "Time is money. Many black stars have voiced our favorite animated characters and entertained us on both the small and big screens.

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. During the studio system, it was unheard of for an actor to refuse a part, because doing so often had severe consequences. Jackson Dollinger TV Actor. JD McCrary TV Actor. Judy Garland was reportedly devastated when she found out her nanny had been betraying her. Known for being a gay rights advocate, Channing didn’t reveal her African American ancestry to the world until 2002, when she released her memoir, "Just Lucky I Guess," at the age of 81. In 1934’s “Imitation of Life,” Washington plays a light-skinned black woman who denies her black mother to cross the color line, posing as white. Jan 15, 2016 - Explore Loni Duhon's board "Old Hollywood Black Actors", followed by 262 people on Pinterest. Tarnishing one's reputation was inexcusable. That's how Sharon Tate ended up in The Beverly Hillbillies and Ava Gardner in Hitler's Madman. All filming delays due to her absence came out of her paycheck, which at one point reached $100,000. This is a list of entertainers known to have performed in blackface makeup, whether in an overtly racist or comic "minstrel" role, as satire or historical depiction of such roles, or in a portrayal of a character using racial makeup as a disguise, for whatever reason. LiveAbout uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Before Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and literally every other celebrity in 2017 were freeing their nipples, the women of Old Hollywood had it … See more ideas about Black actors, Black hollywood, Actors. Merle Oberon earned an Oscar nod for her acting in 1935’s “The Dark Angel” and earned additional recognition for playing Cathy in 1939’s “Wuthering Heights.” But off-screen, Oberon feared that her secrets would be exposed. Every actress was given an image to uphold.

23 Black Actors Who Voiced Your Favorite Cartoon Characters. Sidney Poitier has class and he is a marvelous actor. So, in 2005, she visited Bolivia to learn more about her heritage. Which Asian Actors Have Won Academy Awards?

One of the many responsibilities of Old Hollywood film stars was that they had to cater to the press. Minimal child labor laws meant that studios could require children to work just as much as their adult counterparts.

Rather than disown her mother, Oberon passed her parent off as a servant. They forced her to return to work a short 24 hours after their wedding. Studios often appointed assistants to their actors, who would advise and take care of the stars. No honeymoon for the happy couple. Your Ad Choices Raphael Alejandro TV Actor. The 2002 documentary "The Trouble with Merle" examines Oberon's deceit about her origins. Jacob Tremblay Movie Actor. Jason Maybaum TV Actor. For Judy Garland, that meant working six days per week and up to 18-hour shifts filled with singing and dancing. While being groomed to become Hollywood's newest star, studios tested their young actors with small parts to see how they did.

Lauren Bacall went through a series of voice lessons when she first signed with film director Howard Hawks at Warner Bros. Privacy Notice Still, Oberon did not confess to being Indian. “I thought I had the greatest genes in showbiz,” Channing remembered. 13 Year Old Actors 1. Channing went on to win accolades for her performances in “Hello Dolly!” and “Gentleman Prefer Blondes.”, Universal International Pictures/Getty Images. In her golden years, Welch has played Latino characters in various film and TV roles, including Gregory Nava's series "American Family. America' Cast Looks Like IRL, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Instead, she was born in India to an Indian mother and an Anglo father. In real life, Washington refused to deny her heritage, advocating for blacks in entertainment. “This made me feel like there was something wrong with being from Bolivia,” stated Welch in her 2010 memoir "Beyond the Cleavage. Sitemap ", Famous Celebrities Who Passed for White in Hollywood's Golden Age. In Hollywood's Golden Age, studios not only anglicized the names of actors but also expected them to downplay their ethnic origins. Kirstie Alley, Denise Borino, who plays Johnny 'Sack' Sacramoni's wife on "The Sopranos".

After getting hooked on the "pep pills" MGM was giving her, Judy Garland struggled with addiction.