Gloria Swanson

Swanson had been married six times, with five of her marriages ending in divorce. She was also involved with many other men throughout her acting career. She had three children.

She became a vegetarian in 1928, and was an advocate of macrobiotic diets.

She died from a heart ailment at the age of 84 in 1983.

Gloria Swanson was born in Chicago to Joseph Swanson, a soldier and his wife Adelaide. She was of mixed ancestry.

Her father’s army job meant that the family moved frequently and as a result she had attended several schools by her teens, the most notable among them being the Hawthorne Scholastic Academy.

As a school student she loved singing and participated in a number of school plays. She was beautiful, had a lovely voice and a stylish sense of dressing.

Her film career happened by chance. She had gone to visit Essanay Studios, Chicago, with her aunt where her good looks and stylishness got noticed by the directors and she was immediately offered the role of an extra.

She made her film debut as an extra in ‘The song of Soul’ in 1914, and went on to work as an extra in many other Essanay movies. She got a small role in ‘His New Job’ where she co-starred with Charlie Chaplin.

She moved to California in 1916 to pursue more substantial roles and signed a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1919.

The legendary director Cecil B. DeMille recognized the young woman’s capabilities and cast her as the leading lady in his 1919 film ‘Don't Change Your Husband’.

Her convincing portrayal of Leila Porter in ‘Don’t Change Your Husband’ was followed by more leading roles: ‘Male and Female’ (1919), ‘Why Change Your Wife?’ (1920), and ‘The Affairs of Anatol’(1921).

‘Sadie Thompson’, a 1928 silent film produced by Swanson, in which she also starred, was one of her better known films. The film dealt with the controversial topic of a prostitute seeking to redeem her life. It was both a critical and commercial success and earned Swanson an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Her first talkie, ‘The Trespasser’ (1929) became a smash hit. Her role as Marion Donnell earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Her role as Norma Desmond, a faded silent movie star in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ was hailed as her best ever performance. The 1950 movie was her first big hit after 20 years. The film is widely considered a classic, one of the greatest of American films.