Gene Tierney, a renowned actress, rose to fame with her striking good looks, luminous skin, and crystalline green eyes. Her most iconic role was as the enigmatic murder victim in the 1944 film Laura, for which she received an Oscar nomination. However, her acting career was briefly put on hold in the 1950s as she battled depression, which included hospitalization and shock treatment.
Born on November 19, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York, Gene Eliza Tierney was the daughter of well-to-do parents, Belle Lavinia (Taylor) and Howard Sherwood Tierney. Her father was a successful insurance broker, and her mother was a former teacher. Gene's childhood was lavish, and she often lived with her grandparents in Connecticut and New York.
Gene's education was top-notch, with attendance at the finest schools on the East Coast and a finishing school in Switzerland. After two years in Europe, she returned to the US and completed her education. By 1938, she was performing on Broadway, starting with What a Life! and understudying for Primrose Path (1938). Her father established a corporation to promote her theatrical pursuits, and her first role involved carrying a bucket of water across the stage, earning her praise from critics.
Gene's subsequent roles, including Mrs. O'Brian Entertains (1939) and RingTwo (1939),received critical acclaim. Critic Richard Watts predicted a long and interesting theatrical career for her, as long as Hollywood didn't steal her away.
Darryl F. Zanuck spotted Gene during a stage performance of The Male Animal (1940) and signed her to a contract with 20th Century-Fox. Her first film role was in Hudson's Bay (1940),followed by The Return of Frank James (1940). The next year, she appeared in The Shanghai Gesture (1941),Sundown (1941),Tobacco Road (1941),and Belle Starr (1941).
Gene's performances in these productions were masterful, and she received critical acclaim. In 1945, she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Ellen Brent in Leave Her to Heaven (1945). Although she didn't win, it solidified her position in Hollywood society.
Gene's most iconic role is probably her portrayal of murder victim Laura Hunt in Otto Preminger's Laura (1944). She also played Lucy Muir in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) and appeared in a number of successful films throughout the 1950s.
However, Gene's personal life was marked by turmoil, including a failed marriage to Oleg Cassini, the birth of a daughter with learning disabilities in 1943, and several unhappy love affairs. These pressures resulted in her being hospitalized for depression, and she took a seven-year hiatus from acting.
Gene returned to the screen in Advise & Consent (1962),but her acting career never regained its former momentum. Her final feature film was The Pleasure Seekers (1964),and her final appearance in the film industry was in the TV miniseries Scruples (1980). Gene Tierney passed away on November 6, 1991, at the age of 70, due to complications from emphysema.
