Barbre Streisand - 78: Rare photos and little-known facts about the famous "ugly woman"

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

April 24 marks the 78th anniversary of the famous American actress, singer, producer, director, winner of two Oscars, Barbra Streisand. For a long time now she has not been called a "funny girl" and "ugly", as it was in the days of her youth - no one doubts her talent, charm and attractiveness for a long time. She has already proved everything to everyone, and above all to herself. She is considered the embodiment of the "American Dream": an ugly girl from a poor Jewish family was able to become a star who conquered the first handsome men in Hollywood. But in her biography there are facts that she prefers not to remember …

Since childhood, she did not find support from others: her classmates mocked her, her stepfather was always unhappy with her and during frequent scandals raised his hand to her, even her own mother told her that with such a nose she could not even dream of a stage. In her youth, she had no friends, she felt very lonely and in fact did not communicate with anyone. Of course, this gave rise to a lot of complexes, but, on the other hand, it tempered the character, brought up in her a sense of purpose and a desire to prove to the whole world at all costs that she deserves attention and recognition. Perhaps that is why she chose the acting profession: Barbra dreamed that, thanks to the art of transformation, she would be able to become as brilliant and beautiful as the heroines of her favorite films, and then no one would dare to scoff at her.

Barbara became Barbra at the age of 18 when she was processing paperwork: she removed one letter from her name to make it sound unusual. From her youth, she tried in every possible way to attract attention to herself, and even once dyed her hair green, smeared her face with lime and in this form came to school. "", - she admitted later. She, of course, was noticed - the headmaster sent her home to wash. The face was washed quickly, and the green paint could not be etched away by anything, and then the mother shaved her head. But even then Barbra was not at a loss: she drew various drawings on her bald head and continued to go to school in this form. Even then, she formulated a rule that became her credo: "".

In her creative biography, not everything went smoothly, there were often failures. Before becoming a singer and actress, Barbra managed to work as a telephone operator, waitress and even a cleaner. And on stage, she began performing as a cabaret singer. In 1967, during a concert in front of an audience of 135,000 in New York's Central Park, the girl out of excitement forgot the lyrics of all three songs that she was supposed to perform. After that, she was so afraid of another failure that for 27 years she did not dare to sing on stage. The next time the public heard her only in 1993, and since then such incidents have not happened to her again.

Acting biography Streisand began with a cameo role of a Japanese peasant in a traveling theater. Gradually, she moved from tiny roles in the crowd to the main roles. After the release of the film version of the musical Funny Girl, the whole world started talking about her - for these roles, Barbra Streisand was awarded the Oscar and Golden Globe awards. However, her acting reputation has never been impeccable: the directors called her "a bitch with the manners of a tyrant." Her imperious and capricious character was legendary.

In the 1960s. she was already one of the most popular and sought-after actresses. But this fame played a cruel joke on her: during a concert tour in 1966, the actress began to receive letters from a distraught fan with threats to shoot her right on stage, after which she was forced to hire a bodyguard. They say that it was this story that formed the basis of the script for the cult film "The Bodyguard".

Her talent is multifaceted. She worked a lot as a director. The most famous of her films, nominated for "Oscar", were the films "Lord of the Tides" and "Lord of the Sea." And the most popular among viewers was the film "The Mirror Has Two Faces", where Barbra Streisand was a director, producer and actress.

In addition to acting, directing, producing and singing, Barbra Streisand is interested in interior design and furniture. She arranged for her home in Malibu on her own. "", She says. Her best friend is fashion designer Donna Karan. In addition, Barbra is actively involved in charity work: she opened a Jewish school in Los Angeles at her own expense, and donated $ 6 million from the sale of her own collection of antiques at an auction to a fund for children affected by war.

Legends circulated about her novels, she chose the most beautiful and successful men, but with none of them could find happiness for a long time. Many accused her of cruelty and consumerism. The famous tennis player Andre Agassi, who was 28 years younger than Barbra, shocked the audience with his confession: "". And Barbra herself said: "". But in 1998 she got married and finally found her happiness with actor and director James Brolin.

One of the most painful topics for Barbra Streisand is her son Jason. After a divorce from his father, her first husband, she sent the boy to an experimental school, in which the students lived and studied on a permanent basis from the age of 3, and practically forgot about his existence for 20 years. It came as a shock to her when her son announced his gay orientation and in 1996 married David Knight, a famous fashion model, athlete and fighter for gay rights. Barbra did not come to her son's wedding, but later she was still able to accept his choice.

To all questions about her age and appearance, Barbra answers: “” It remains only to wish her not to lose this shine in her eyes and remain as cheerful and charming as the whole world knows her!

Her hits do not lose popularity: "If you leave" - songthat touches the most secret strings of the soul.