I decided to continue to research more beauty icons, especially because I have always shared a love for both the beauty industry and history! The information I'm about to share is about actress and princess Grace Kelly. I researched and learned all this information off of the websites Biography, Bustle and Wikipedia. Enjoy!
It was on November 12, 1929, in the
state of Pennsylvania, that the beauty icon and film industry legend Grace Patricia Kelly was
born. Gracie-bird
or Gracie, was the daughter to three time Olympic Gold Medalist John (Jack) Kelly and Margaret Mayer. Jack was a self-made millionaire from his East
coast Brick business, and Margaret was the first coach for the woman’s athletics
team at The University of Pennsylvania. She was also a model and beauty queen.
Grace was their third child out of four. Considering her father was so
prosperous and her mother so beautiful, it came as no surprise that success was
in her genetics.
While attending a private school, the Stevens School, she always held a
love for theater. She also occasionally modeled with her mother and sister. She
had two other influential family members in her life- her uncles Walter and
George. Walter was a performer, and George a playwright. While Uncle George was
technically estranged from the family for his homosexuality, he still
encouraged and mentored Kelly in her early acting career. Her father disapproved of her love for
acting, because he viewed performers as a close class to prostitutes.
While Kelly’s family did not
completely approve of her acting career, after graduation, she still went on to
attend The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. During her
schooling, she continued to model for companies including Old Gold Cigarettes,
Cosmopolitan, and Red-book. Grace graduated at age 19 and first decided to
pursue Broadway. This did not go as well as planned, and she received the harsh
criticism that while she had “beauty and style,” she had no “vocal horsepower.”
This encouraged Grace to try out the film industry, which her talents more easily
blossomed. Luckily she entered the
industry shortly after WWII, when it was really growing! She eventually moved
to Hollywood and starred in 11 films and over 60 television productions!
Actor Gary Cooper discovered her, and at the age of 22, she starred in her first film- Fourteen Hours. She was later featured in High Noon and Mogambo. Mogambo also featured Clark Gable and
Ava Gardner. It was rumored Kelly had an affair with Gable during filming. It
was with this film that she was nominated for her first Academy award and won a
Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress!
After winning a Golden Globe, MGM offered her a seven year contract- which
she agreed to on specific terms. Her terms included living in Manhattan every
other year so that she could pursue some stage work.
She also went on to make three
films with Alfred Hitchcock. These films include Rear Window, Dial M for
Murder, and To Catch a Thief.
Both Alfred Hitchcock and a former costar, Jimmy Stewart, thought highly of
Grace for her sophistication, beauty, style and “sexual elegance.” Later on, in
1954, she starred in The Country Girl with Bing Crosby and William Holden.
Kelly played a neglected and alcoholic wife. Her performance was so raw that
she beat out Judy Garland by winning an Oscar! By the year 1955, she was one of
the highest paid and respected actresses in Hollywood. Because of this, she was invited to join the
United States Delegation Committee at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
Overall, Grace Kelly was a beauty
icon, because she was not only known for her acting, but also for her self-confidence,
serenity, and elegant composure. She was a beautiful model too, with striking
blue eyes and gorgeous blonde hair that took to a photograph so well. Grace was
a timeless beauty indeed.
Thanks for viewing this post! Check back soon for more
information on other timeless beauty icons!
-Reg xoxo
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