Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American film actress whose career spanned seven decades. She won Academy Awards for The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and A Patch of Blue (1965), and received nominations for A Place in the Sun (1951) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972), the latter of which also earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture, as well as a nomination for a British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In the 1940s, Winters was just beginning her Hollywood career, after working as a model and Broadway understudy. She moved to New York and studied at the Actors Studio (later becoming one of its famous alumni).
Winters arrived in Los Angeles during World War II. Like many aspiring actresses, she worked odd jobs while auditioning. She shared an apartment with Marilyn Monroe for a time during those early years. She began with uncredited parts in films like What a Woman! (1943), Sailor’s Holiday (1944), and Knickerbocker Holiday (1944).
By the late 1940s, Winters started securing larger roles. Her breakthrough role was as a waitress and murder victim in the film A Double Life (1947), which was distributed by Universal. This role led to a long-term contract with Universal and a quick rise to stardom. She followed this with a supporting role in Larceny (1948) and a second-billed role in Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949). Other notable films from this period include Cry of the City (1948) and Take One False Step (1949). Her career continued to ascend in Hollywood with roles in The Great Gatsby (1949) and Winchester '73 (1950).
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