Jane Wyman

She married Ronald Reagan, a co-actor at Warner Brothers, on January 26, 1940 and divorced him on June 28, 1948.

She had a daughter, Maureen, born on January 4, 1941 but died of cancer on August 8, 2001.

Jane Wyman was born Sarah Jane Mayfield in St. Joseph, Missouri, on January 5, 1917. Her father was Manning Jefferies Mayfield and her mother was Gladys Hope Christian, a doctor’s stenographer and office assistant.

Her parents divorced in 1921 and her father died the next year after which her mother moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in search of work.

Sarah Jane was adopted by Richard and Emma Fulks at the age of five and assumed the name Sarah Jane Fulks.

She attended the ‘Lafayette High School’ in St. Joseph, Missouri but dropped out in 1932 when she was only 15.

Jane Wyman worked as a manicurist and switchboard operator before singing for the radio under the name Jane Durrell.

She started her acting career by doing bit parts in films starting with ‘The Kid From Spain’ in 1932, ‘King of Burlesque’ in 1935, ‘My Man Godfrey’ and ‘Cain and Mabel’ in 1936.

She signed a contract with ‘Warner Bros’ in 1936.

She acted in ‘Gold Diggers’ in 1937 and starred in ‘Public Wedding’ in 1937 opposite William Hopper. During this period she changed her name from Durrell to Wyman.

She appeared in film ‘Brother Rat’ in 1938 and its sequel ‘Brother Rat and a Baby’ in 1940 opposite Ronald Reagan whom she married later.

Jane Wyman was nominated for ‘Academy Award for Best Actress Award’ in 1947 for ‘The Yearling’.

In 1949 she won the ‘Oscar for the Best Actress’ and the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress’ for ‘Johnny Belinda’.

In 1951 she won the ‘Golden Globe’ as the ‘World Film Favorite Female Actress’.

In 1952 she won the ‘Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress – Drama’ and an ‘Oscar nomination for Best Actress’ for ‘Blue Veil’ made in 1951.

In 1955 she won a nomination for the ‘Oscar for Best Actress’ for ‘Magnificent Obsession’ made in 1954.