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Celeste Holm

Celeste Holm (b. April 29, 1919) is an American stage, movie, and television actress. She is perhaps best remembered for her Oscar-winning role in Gentleman's Agreement (1947), as well as for her Oscar-nominated performance in All About Eve (1950).

Born in New York City, Holm studied acting at the University of Chicago before becoming a stage actress in the late 1930s. Her first professional theatrical role was in a production of Hamlet starring Leslie Howard, and Holm quickly rose to prominence with her portrayal of Ado Annie in the first Broadway production of Oklahoma!. 20th Century Fox signed her to a movie contract in 1946, and in her first two years as a film actress Holm cemented herself immediately as a formidable performer, especially when winning her Academy Award and Golden Globe for best supporting actress in Gentleman's Agreement. After her famous performance in All About Eve, however, Holm realized she preferred working in live theater than on movie sets, and took on very few filmed roles over the following decade. The most successful of these was in the 1956 musical, High Society, in which she duetted with Frank Sinatra.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Holm returned more fully to screen acting, with roles in films such as Three Men and a Baby and in television series (often as a guest star) such as Columbo and Falcon Crest.

Celeste Holm has received many honors in her lifetime: she was appointed to the National Arts Council by then-President Ronald Reagan, knighted by King Olav of Norway, and inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1992. She remains active for social causes as a spokesperson for UNICEF.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2004.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

Celeste Holm Facts

OccupationActress
BirthdayApril 29, 1919
SignTaurus
BirthplaceNew York, New York, USA
Date of deathJuly 15, 2012 (age 93)
Awards1948 Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (for Gentleman's Agreement)
1948 Golden Globe Awards: Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture (for Gentleman's Agreement)

Selected Filmography

Not available.