The history of cinema knows many cases when an actor or actress, once ascended to the pinnacle of success, in subsequent years was content with secondary roles. Among them is Burstyn Ellen.
This actress made her Broadway debut nearly 60 years ago and won her first Oscar in 1975. At the same time, her active social activities have earned her great respect among her colleagues. Suffice it to say that from 1982 to 1985, Ellen Burstyn was president of the American Screen Actors Union, and in 2000 she, along with Al Pacino and Harvey Keitel, headed the reputable Actors Studio.
Biography
Ellen Burstyn was born in Detroit (USA) in 1932. Parents divorced when she was very little, and she does not remember her own father, although she made unsuccessful attempts to find him. Ellen's childhood (the actress's real name is Edna Rae Gilloly) was quite difficult due to constant conflicts with her stepfather, whom her mother protected and supported. As a result, at the age of 18, the girl left her home and began an independent life. At first she had to work as an acrobat in circus shows and starred as a model for advertising in second-rate magazines. Later, Ellen managed to get into the troupe of one of the Broadway musicals, and they began to invite her to cameo roles in films and on television.
Personal life
Ellen Burstyn, whose personal life has never been displayed, was married three times. With her first husband, William Alexander, the actress lived for 7 years, after which she divorced. A year later, Ellen remarried her second husband, Paul Robberts, but their union lasted only a few years. With their third spouse, Neil Burstin, they lived a long eight years of life, until misfortune knocked on their house. The husband of the famous actress began to suffer from mental disorders that led to schizophrenia. He began to be very aggressive towards his wife, and even the police could do nothing to help her.
Career
During her long creative life, the actress starred in films of various genres. Among them were both recognized masterpieces of famous directors, and frankly weak films and series. By the way, as already mentioned, Ellen Burstyn began her career in television. Her first job was participation in the Kraft Television Theater project, which was shown from 1947 to 1958. This was followed by other projects, including the famous "Defenders", included in the top 50 most famous TV shows in the history of television.
As for the film roles, in addition to those already mentioned, works in the films "Resurrection" and "At the same time, next year", for which Ellen was nominated for an Oscar, can be considered successful. Then, for almost 20 years, the actress did not have interesting roles, and they started talking about her again only in 2000. The reason for the discussion was her work in the film Requiem for a Dream, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. However, this award again floated out of her hands, as film academics considered Julia Roberts more worthy. At the same time, many critics and viewers are sure that the image created by Ellen was much more vivid and convincing than the role of her “rival” in the film “Erin Brockovich”. By the way, both actresses had met 10 years earlier on the set of the film "Die Young", where they played a mother and daughter. Later, Ellen Burstyn's nomination for Emmy for her role in the television movie "Mrs. Harris" became a real scandal, since the heroine of the actress was on the screen for only 14 seconds and uttered only two dozen words.
Awards
Ellen Burstyn has been nominated for various prestigious awards several dozen times. However, she rarely managed to become a laureate. In addition to Oscars and Tony, the actress was awarded: BAFTA Award (1976) for the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore; Golden Globe awards (1979) for the painting At the same time, next year; Emmy Awards (2009 and 2013) for roles in the series Law & Order and Political Animals.
Interesting Facts
Ellen Burstyn's life was eventful. Moreover, some of them can be classified as unfortunate and even tragic. For example:
- During the filming of the film "The Exorcist", in the scene when the heroine was thrown out of bed, Ellen fell on her tailbone and all her subsequent life suffered from severe pain in the spine. By the way, the cry that is heard in this episode of the film is not feigned, because it escaped from the actress as a result of a serious injury.
- Ellen Burstyn's third husband, whose filmography is incredibly diverse, suffered from schizophrenia, and she even became a victim of violence from him. When he committed suicide in 1978, his parents sent their former daughter-in-law a letter congratulating her on "winning another Oscar."
- Baptized in the Catholic Church, Ellen Burstyn today professes one of the most mysterious and mystical branches of Islam - Sufism. At the same time, she is a staunch vegetarian, practices yoga, and in 1996, together with a group of Buddhists led by the father of the Hollywood actress Uma Thurman, visited the state of Bhutan, having visited the temples located in the Himalayas.
- Ellen turned down a role in the cult movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, as she was forced to look after her mentally ill husband Neil Burstin.
- In 1999, the actress decided to spend 3 days on the streets of New York without money and documents. She had very positive impressions of the life of an American homeless person.
