Marsha Mason is an American theater, film and television actress. She became widely known in the 1970s, starring in the films "Dismissal before midnight", "Goodbye, dear", "Promises in the dark", "Chapter Two".
The actress was nominated four times for an Oscar, twice won a Golden Globe and was nominated for awards from the British Academy, Actors Guild, National Society of Film Critics, Emmy, CableACE Award and Quality Television Q Awards.
For his outstanding contribution to the development of cinema, Mason was twice awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival and St. Louis International Film Festival.
In the creative biography of the actress, there are more than 70 roles in film and television. She has taken part in popular show programs, documentaries, Oscars, Golden Globes and Tony awards.
In the spring of 2002, she was awarded a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame at number 6646 for her contribution to the development of the culture of the United States. This award is given to outstanding personalities born in St. Louis.
Biography facts
Marsha was born in the United States in the spring of 1942. She was the eldest of two girls raised by Jacqueline Helena Rakovski and James Joseph Mason.
The girl's father was English and Irish by birth. He worked in a publishing house as a printer. The maternal grandfather Justin M. Rakovski and his wife Jadwiga (Ida) Petrzkowski were from Poland. They left the country in search of a better life and settled in America in Missouri.
Marsha received her primary education at a small private Roman Catholic school for girls, Nerinx Hall High School. There she became interested in art, began attending a choreographic studio and first appeared on the theater stage.
After leaving school, the girl entered Webster University, where she continued to participate in theatrical performances. Another hobby of Marsha during her student years was motor sports. She has taken part in competitions held by the National Collegiate Sports Association (SCCA) on several occasions.
After receiving her diploma, the girl went to New York, where she began to take acting lessons and star in commercials.
Creative way
In 1965, the young actress made her Broadway debut. Throughout her creative career, she has played in many famous performances based on the works of classics and contemporary authors.
A few years later, she joined the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and took part in productions such as The Merchant of Venice, The Doll's House, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Crucible, and Private Life.
In 1986 she acted as the director of the play based on the work of William Shakespeare "As You Like It". The play was shown at the Los Angeles theater.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Marsha appeared on stage with the famous actors R. Dreyfus, D. Burke, R. Gayhart. She has appeared in productions of the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington DC and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Mason teaches acting in New York at the Herbert Berghof Studio.
Marsha's film debut took place in 1966. She starred in the drama "Hot Rod Hullabaloo". Then the actress starred in several television series, in the western "Beyond the Law" and in the comedy melodrama Bloom in Love.
In 1973, the screens released the film "Dismissal before midnight", where Mason played the main role of Maggie Paul. Her partner on the set was James Caan.
The plot of the film is set in Seattle. John Baggs is a Vietnam War veteran sailor who is sent to a naval base medical facility to receive test results and receive treatment at a clinic. In the evenings, he can leave the base until midnight and spend his free time in the city. On one of these evenings, John goes to a bar and there he meets a girl Maggie, with whom he falls in love without memory. Maggie has a 10-year-old son, Doug, with whom he quickly finds a common language. John wants to marry Maggie, but she is in no hurry to accept his offer and start changing something in her life.
The film received 3 Oscar nominations. Mason was also a nominee for this award for her leading female role. As a result, the actress did not get an Oscar, but she won the Golden Globe Award.
In 1977, Marsha played Paula McFadden in the comedy melodrama Goodbye Darling. The actress again won the Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar, a British Academy Award.
Mason was nominated for Oscars twice more in 1979 and 1981 for her roles in the films Chapter Two and Only When I Laugh.
In her later career, the performer had roles in projects: "Max Dugan Returns", "Pass of Broken Hearts", "Dinner at Eight", "Picture", "Stella", "Harmful Fred", "Fraser", "I Love Trouble", Last Moment, Two Days in the Valley, Living with Judy Garland, Big Risk, The Bride and Prejudice. Nightmares and Fantastic Visions: Based on the Stories of Stephen King, Army Wives, The Good Wife, It Happens Worse, Secretary of State, Grace and Frankie.
Personal life
Marsha got married twice. The first choice was the actor Gary Campbell. They got married in 1965 and lived together for about 5 years. The couple divorced in 1970.
The second husband in October 1973 was the actor, screenwriter and producer Neil Simon. They met at one of the rehearsals of the play "The Good Doctor" and got married 3 weeks later. This marriage lasted nearly 10 years, but resulted in divorce in 1983.
Mason is currently in business. She has her own phyto-company, Resting in the River, which produces and sells herbal preparations. All plants are grown in a garden located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
