What was the main character of "Titanic" in her youth: How 100-year-old Gloria Stewart destroyed Hollywood stereotypes

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The sensational disaster film "Titanic" became one of the highest-grossing projects in the history of world cinema, it was watched by millions of viewers around the world, and the actors who played the main roles turned into superstars. True, all the laurels went mainly to Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, although there was another bright actress in the film who played Rose in her old age. For this role, she was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Why it happened, fame came to her only at 87 years old, and how an actress destroyed all traditional ideas about the acting profession - further in the review.

Gloria Francis Stewart was born on July 4, 1910 in the family of an American lawyer. From childhood she was lively and knew how to stand up for herself. True, this did not always have positive consequences for her. Gloria was expelled from elementary school for kicking her mentor, and she did not repent of her act at all - she said that the teacher deserved it. In high school, the girl managed to channel her irrepressible energy in the right direction - she became interested in literature and theater, wrote stories and poems, and in high school she worked as a reporter for a local newspaper. At the University of Berkeley, Gloria studied philosophy and dramatic art, participated in student performances, wrote articles for the newspaper and kept the university literary journal.

After graduation, Gloria Stewart began performing on the stage, where she was noticed by representatives of the film studio "Universal Studios" and invited her to sign a contract. At 22, she began acting in films and in the 1930s. became one of the most promising and sought-after young actresses. But despite the fact that the actress starred a lot, she most often got supporting roles, and film critics mentioned the names of other actresses in their articles.

In the 1930s. Gloria Stewart said that she was tired of being the "on-screen girlfriend of Shirley Temple" - the youngest Oscar winner, who at the age of 6 was awarded a prestigious award and became in the 1930s. one of the highest paid actresses, surpassing her adult competitors. Even the most striking roles of Gloria Stewart remained unnoticed, she was not criticized - she was simply ignored. So, for example, in the film "The Three Musketeers" she played Queen Anne, all the posters were decorated with her portrait, but film critics praised the work of other actors, and she was again silent about her.

As a result, in the late 1930s. the studio did not renew the contract with the actress. And she didn't want to act anymore, explaining it like this: "".

After that, the pause in the film career of Gloria Stewart lasted more than 30 years. But at this time, the actress was able to realize herself in other areas of activity - she took up decoupage, made dressers, tables, mirrors, table lamps and even opened her own furniture store. During the Second World War, the actress was eager to join the concert crews performing in front of the fighters, but her husband did not allow her to do this. But this did not stop Gloria from touring the country and visiting hospitals. In the early 1950s. the actress took painting lessons, and in this hobby she also achieved success - her works were exhibited in prestigious galleries. Sometimes she was invited to act in films, but she refused - it seemed to her that her film career had already ended.

After 30 years, Gloria Stewart still returned to the screens - after all, the acting profession was her vocation. She hired an agent who helped her get her first small TV roles and then more prominent film roles. But the finest hour, which most of her colleagues have in their younger years, came for her only after 85!

Later, she talked more than once about the day she remembered until the end of her life: one day in May 1996 she received a call and was offered to play the main character in her old age in James Cameron's project "Titanic". The next day, the casting director and his assistant came to her with a video camera, and the next day Cameron himself came. The actress recalled: "". True, she was a little offended by the fact that she was offered the role of such an elderly heroine: she was 101 years old according to the script, and the actress herself was only 86! So Gloria Stewart got her stellar role, which finally brought her worldwide fame and recognition, and at the age of 87 she was included in the list of the 50 most attractive people in the world according to People magazine.

Of the entire cast of the film, Gloria was the only one who caught the Titanic wreck, although in 1912 she was only 2 years old. A month and a half after the premiere of the film, Gloria Stewart was nominated for a Golden Globe, and soon - for an Oscar for her supporting role. And although she did not receive the award, the whole audience at the award ceremony gave her a standing ovation. And on her neck was a copy of the very necklace "Heart of the Ocean", in which her heroine appeared in the film. In 1998, Gloria Stewart received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress, and two years later she was awarded the Guild Prize for her many years of work in the cinema. After that, she filmed until 2005, while health allowed.

Gloria Stewart has lived a long and eventful life. Everyone was amazed at her energy and ability to work. Even serious health problems did not prevent her from continuing her acting career. After 70 years, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, had an operation, and the disease receded. And at 94, the actress was diagnosed with lung cancer (for many years she remained a heavy smoker). Gloria lived with this diagnosis for another 6 years and died of respiratory failure a few months after her 100th birthday - at the same age as her heroine in "Titanic".

Leonardo DiCaprio said about her: "".

She passed away as an absolutely happy person - only in her declining years did Gloria Stewart receive everything she could dream of: fame, recognition, awards, material well-being. She had a daughter, four grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren, who surrounded her with love and care. It remains only to admire the talent, love of life and charm of this extraordinary Hollywood star, who destroyed all stereotypes about an acting career!

A lot of interesting things remained behind the scenes of the cult film: How the highest-grossing film of the 20th century was made.