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Ann MillerAmerican singer, dancer and actress
Date of Birth: 12.04.1923
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Ann Miller
Ann Miller was an American singer, dancer, and actress. She was born as Johnnie Lucille Ann Collier on April 12, 1923, in Chireno, Texas, USA. Her parents were Clara Emma Birdwell and John Alfred Collier, a criminal defense lawyer who handled cases for notorious American criminals such as Bonnie and Clyde, Machine Gun Kelly, and Baby Face Nelson. Ann's maternal grandmother was Cherokee, which influenced her appearance. Although her birth name was Johnnie, she was mostly called Annie within her family.
Early Career
In her early childhood, Ann decided to pursue dancing professionally to alleviate her rickets. In an interview behind the scenes of a documentary, she revealed that she was also inspired by popular dancer Eleanor Powell. When she was only 13 years old, Ann was hired as a dancer at the Black Cat Club in San Francisco, pretending to be of legal age. Her talent was recognized by the "Queen of Comedy" Lucille Ball and talent scout Benny Rubin. As a result, Ann signed a contract with RKO Studios in 1936 and later accepted an offer from Columbia Pictures. However, she achieved true success as an actress at MGM, starring in musicals such as "Kiss Me Kate" directed by George Sidney, "Easter Parade" by Charles Walters, and "On the Town" by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly.
Rise to Fame
In the 1940s, thanks to Ann, stockings became popular as she started using them instead of constantly tearing hosiery during dance numbers. Typically, dancers sewed stockings to their undergarments, but if even one stocking had a "run," it required a lot of time and effort to replace the whole set. Additionally, Ann was known for her speed in tap dancing. There are reports claiming that she could perform 500 taps per minute. Furthermore, due to the slippery floors on stage, Ann danced in shoes with rubber soles. Many were drawn to the unique appearance of the actress from Chireno during the later stages of her career, considering her the epitome of glamour: voluminous black hair, serious makeup with raspberry lipstick, clothes that perfectly accentuated her flexible figure, and, of course, long legs.
Career Beyond Movies
Ann Miller ended her film career in 1956 but continued her work on television and in theater. She had a star role on Broadway in the musical "Mame" in 1969, where the audience was enthralled when she performed a tap dancing number specially created for her. In 1979, she triumphed on Broadway again, appearing in the musical comedy "Sugar Babies" alongside MGM veteran Mickey Rooney. In 1983, Miller won the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in the Chicago theater. In 1982, she appeared in a special episode of the TV series "The Love Boat," which also featured legends of show business such as Ethel Merman, Carol Channing, Della Reese, Van Johnson, and Cab Calloway. In 2001, she played her last role as Catherine "Coco" in David Lynch's critically acclaimed mystery film "Mulholland Drive," alongside Naomi Watts and Laura Harring. On stage, Ann made her final appearance in 1998 in Stephen Sondheim's production of "Follies," receiving rave reviews for her performance of the song "I'm Still Here."
Legacy and Death
Ann Miller passed away at the age of 80 on January 22, 2004, in Los Angeles, California, from lung cancer that had metastasized. She was buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. For her contributions to the film industry, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
