Beatrice Whitney Straight American stage, film and television actress Date of Birth: 02.08.1914 Country: USA

1. Childhood and Early Life
2. Education and Stage Acting
3. Broadway and Tony Award
4. Television and Film Appearances
5. Personal Life and Later Years

Childhood and Early Life

Beatrice Whitney Straight was born on August 2, 1914, in Old Westbury, New York. Her father, Willard Dickerman Straight, an investment banker, died in France from the influenza epidemic during World War I when Beatrice was four years old. Her mother, Dorothy Payne Whitney, remarried in 1925 to British agriculturist Leonard K. Elmhirst, and together with her daughter, moved to England.

Education and Stage Acting

Beatrice completed her education in England and made her stage debut in a high school production of Ibsen's "A Doll's House." She studied acting under Michael Chekhov, a Russian émigré. Returning to the United States in 1935, Beatrice debuted on Broadway in "Bitter Oleander" and starred in "The Possessed" in 1939.

Broadway and Tony Award

Much of Beatrice's theater repertoire consisted of classical dramas, including "Twelfth Night" in 1941, "Macbeth" and "The Crucible" in 1953. For her role as Elizabeth Proctor in "The Crucible," Beatrice received a Tony Award for Best Actress.

Television and Film Appearances

During the golden age of television, Beatrice frequently starred in popular series such as "Somerset Maugham TV Theatre," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," and "Mission: Impossible." She occasionally appeared in feature films but is best remembered for her later role in the satirical "Network" (1976), a scathing indictment on the ratings system controlling television networks. For this film, Beatrice won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, despite her role lasting only 5 minutes and 40 seconds, a record-breaking feat.

Personal Life and Later Years

Beatrice was married twice, first to French producer Louis Dolivet, from whom she divorced in 1949. She married American actor Peter Cookson the following week, remaining with him until his death 50 years later. The couple had two sons, one of whom became a director and screenwriter. In her final years, Beatrice suffered from Alzheimer's disease and died from pneumonia in Los Angeles on April 7, 2001, at the age of 86.