Susan Hayward

Susan Hayward

Stars

Susan Hayward
Film: North side of the 6200 block of Hollywood Boulevard
Actress
Born Edythe Marrener on June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Died March 14, 1975 of malignant brain tumor in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Susan Hayward was a flame-haired, Oscar-winning actress who appeared in more than 50 motion pictures before her death from a malignant brain tumor at age 57.

In 1939, producer David O. Selznick spotted her picture on a Saturday Evening Post cover. He invited her to Hollywood to try out for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind." But Vivien Leigh won the part, and an Oscar for it.

Within a year, however, Hayward was playing the feminine lead in "Beau Geste" opposite Gary Cooper.

She won her Academy Award in 1958 for best performance by a leading actress when she portrayed convicted murderess Barbara Graham in "I Want to Live."

Oscar nominations also came her way for "Smash Up" in 1947, "My Foolish Heart" in 1949, "With a Song in My Heart" in 1952 and "I'll Cry Tomorrow" in 1955.

In 1955, at the height of her career, she attempted suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills in her Sherman Oaks home. At the end of her life, by then a convert to Catholicism, Hayward waged a courageous battle against a malignant brain tumor. Given six weeks to three months to live, Hayward survived for more than two years.

"She had a tremendous desire to live," said her doctor, Lee Siegel, when Hayward died in 1975. "She was a terrific fighter."

Related stars

Points of interest

Click for more information

    Academy Awards

    Year Category Work
    1947 Best Actress Smash Up: The Story of a Woman Nomination
    1949 Best Actress My Foolish Heart Nomination
    1952 Best Actress With a Song in My Heart Nomination
    1955 Best Actress I'll Cry Tomorrow Nomination
    1958 Best Actress I Want to Live! Win

    Three thoughts about Susan Hayward

    Share a thought about Susan Hayward

    • Did you ever meet Susan Hayward? Share your memory.
    • Which other stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame have connections to Susan Hayward?
    • Are other places in the world important to Susan Hayward?
    • Does Susan Hayward deserve this star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

      Required
      Optional