Shelley Winters was born on the 18th August 1920, in East St. Louis, Missouri USA, from an Austrian Jewish immigrant family, and was an actress who, among other awards, won two Oscars in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her roles in the films “The Diary of Anne Frank” (1959) and “A Patch of Blue” (1965). Winters was active in the entertainment industry from 1943 ‘til 1999, and passed away in 2006.
So How much is the net worth of Shelley Winters? It has been estimated by authoritative sources that the overall size of her wealth was as much as $10 million, as of the data converted to the present day. Acting was the main source of Winters’ net worth.
Shelley Winters Net Worth $10 Million
Concerning her professional career, initially she had minor success in comedies and musicals on Broadway, where she was also a member of the Actors Studio. In 1943, she debuted on the big screen in the film “There’s Something About a Soldier”. In the late 1940s, her breakthrough came starring in the thriller “A Double Life” (1947) by George Cukor. Meanwhile, she also rose to fame on Broadway, with the leading role in the successful musical “Oklahoma!” This was followed by larger roles in the thriller “Cry of the City” (1948) alongside Victor Mature, then in 1950 portraying the female lead in Anthony Mann’s western “Winchester ’73”. Moreover, she starred in the award winning melodrama “A Place in the Sun” (1951) with Montgomery Clift” in the role of a seduced factory worker. Afterwards, she portrayed very different character roles, for example an aspiring actress in the drama “Phone Call from a Stranger” (1952), a wife of the suspect in the western “Saskatchewan” (1954), and the naïve widow of an executed murderer in the thriller “The Night of the Hunter” (1955). Her net worth was growing steadily.
The Oscar for the Best Supporting Actress she won for her portrayal of Auguste van Daan in “The Diary of Anne Frank” (1959) directed by George Stevens, and a second Oscar she received for her representation of a prostitute in “A Patch of Blue” (1965). Despite her film successes she always came back to the theatre, to star in such plays as in the world premiere of “The Night of the Iguana” by Tennessee Williams, and the musical “Minnie’s Boys”. Other major film roles were as Charlotte Haze-Humbert in Stanley Kubrick’s film “Lolita” (1962), and Ruby in the romantic comedy drama film “Alfie” (1966) directed by Lewis Gilbert. In 1972, she won a Golden Globe Award for portraying Belle Rosen in “The Poseidon Adventure”. Later, she was seen as an evil adoptive mother in “Pete’s Dragon” (1977). To add more, she played the wife of Martin Balsam in the Chuck Norris movie “Delta Force” (1982), in addition, she appeared in numerous guest roles on television, including a recurring role in the sitcom “Roseanne”. Her last appearance was in the Italian film “La Bomba” (1999).
Finally, in the personal life of the actress, Shelley Winters was married four times, firstly to the Mayor of Chicago Mack Paul, then the actor Vittorio Gassman, actor Anthony Franciosa, and finally Gerry DeFord, who married her a few hours before her death. There were also rumours about her relationships and possible affairs with actors Errol Flynn, William Holden, Burt Lancaster, Sean Connery and Marlon Brando. The actress died on the 14th January 2006 at the age of 85 in the rehabilitation centre in Beverly Hills. Her final resting place is in the Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California.
Venice Film Festival Special Prize for Ensemble Acting (1954), New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress(2nd place, 1951), Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (1959), Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (1964), Academy Award for Bes...
Nominations
-BAFTA Award for Best Actress (1976), David di Donatello Special Distinction Award (1977), Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, Academy Award for Best Actress
Movies
"A Place in the Sun" (1951), “A Patch of Blue” (1965), "Executive Suite" (1954), "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1959), "Lolita" (1961), "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" (1964), "Alfie" (1966), "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972), "McCloud" (1974), "Next Stop, Greenwich Village" (1976)
TV Shows
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The NBC Mystery Movie, Beyond This Place
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Trademark
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Brassy sexuality
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Often played neurotic, needy women
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Later on, played mostly overweight, loud and somewhat tacky women
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Quote
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Every now and then, when you're onstage, you hear the best sound a player can hear. It's a sound you can't get in movies or in television. It is the sound of a wonderful, deep silence that means you've hit them where they live.
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After three times, I realize marriage is not for me. Not for me. I love to get married, you know, but I don't like to be married. You go away on a honeymoon, you have a great time, you come home, they want to come in the house!
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[In a 1980 interview] Jean Arthur was ALWAYS my favorite actress when I was a kid. And I love Bette Davis for a very peculiar reason. Bette Davis is not afraid to stink! There are these careful actresses who look pretty, and they're never bad, they're never great. But Bette Davis goes; she'll take chances. I love to watch her on the set. Sometimes it's awful, but sometimes it's FANTASTIC!
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[on Norman Mailer] Norman's not capable of sleeping with a starlet and using her and then just saying "That was great, kid. Goodbye." Unlike most men in Hollywood, he's actually a feminist. He sees women as people, not just sex objects. He reveres women. He feels there's kind of respect they must have.
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[on her role in A Patch of Blue (1965)] Can you imagine me using words like "nigger" and "wop"? I've always found something to like in the characters I've played, but not this time. I really hate this woman. She blinds her daughter by accident when she was trying to blind her husband. And when the girl grows up, she beats her. How's that for a role?
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[on Marlon Brando in the stage production of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)] There was an electrical charge and almost an animal scent he projected over the footlights that made it impossible for the audience to think or watch the other performers on the stage. All you could do was feel, the sexual arousal was so complete. I don't believe that quality can be learned; it's just there, primitive and compelling. The only time I experienced a similar reaction was when I saw Elvis Presley perform in Las Vegas.
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(on Robert Taylor who was her co-star in A House Is Not a Home (1964)) He was the sweetest man to work with. By that I mean he was cooperative and understanding in contrast to most leading men today, who try to either elbow you out of camera range or are off in a corner somewhere practicing 'Method acting'.
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[on Oscar Levant] A tortured man who sprayed his loathing on anyone within range.
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[on Robert De Niro] Bobby needs someone to watch over him. He doesn't even know enough to wear a coat in the wintertime. When we did Bloody Mama (1970) he didn't even know how much money they were paying him. I found out how little it was and insisted they at least give him some expense money.
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[on Anthony Franciosa] I'll never forget the night I brought my Oscar home and Tony took one look at it and I knew my marriage was over.
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[on director George Stevens] George photographs what goes on in the air between people.
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[on Joanne Woodward] Joanne always made it her business to hold back her career while Paul Newman was on the up and up. And that girl is one helluva talented actress. But she knew what side her bread was buttered on and let Paul become the superstar of the family. The result? They're still happily married today.
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I think on-stage nudity is disgusting, shameful and damaging to all things American. But if I were 22 with a great body, it would be artistic, tasteful, patriotic and a progressive religious experience.
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It's sad that people are so open about their sexuality. Sex is much more fun when you have to sneak around and cover it up.
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My face was always so made up, it looked as though it had the decorators in.
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Anna Magnani could act anybody off the stage or screen.
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[on Fredric March] He was able to do a very emotional scene with tears in his eyes, and pinch my fanny at the same time.
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(her career-longevity advice) You gotta play mothers. If you don't, you won't get a long career in Hollywood.
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I have bursts of being a lady, but it doesn't last long.
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I had to gain forty pounds for this movie.
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The best way to find out about a man is to have lunch with his ex-wife
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I did a picture in England one winter and it was so cold I almost got married.
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In Hollywood, all the marriages are happy. It's trying to live together afterwards that causes all the problems.
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Fact
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For the majority of her life she had only one ovary, having undergone an oophorectomy at 8-years-old.
Turned down the role of prostitute Alma Burke in From Here to Eternity (1953) as she had just given birth to her daughter Vittoria Gassman. Donna Reed, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance, was cast instead.
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Following her death, she was interred at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.
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She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1752 Vine Street in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.
Winters got her first screen test after Columbia studio boss Harry Cohn saw her on Broadway in Max Reinhardt's "Rosalind" in 1942. He met her on a Saturday night backstage and asked that she audition the following day during a blizzard. Although she was only 16, she told Cohn she was 21, and he personally directed her test. Cohn left immediately afterward for Hollywood, and three weeks later she received two train tickets with an order to report to Columbia Studios for a role in Cover Girl (1944). Cohn personally called Washington to free up Winters' husband, who was finishing basic training in Louisiana. Unfortunately, she arrived too late for Cover Girl (1944).
When Shelley and Marilyn Monroe were roommates in the late 1940s in Hollywood, Shelley said that one day she had to step out and asked Marilyn to "wash the lettuce" for a salad they were to share for dinner. When she got back to the apartment, Marilyn (aparently new to the art of cooking) had the leaves of lettuce in a small tub of soapy water and was scrubbing them clean.
Attended and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in New York City.
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Shirley Schrift took her mother's maiden name (Winter) as her stage name and added Shelley for her favorite poet. When she saw the call sheet for A Double Life (1947), she discovered that Universal had added an "s", making her Shelley Winters.
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She had a role in Always (1985) and filmed a few scenes, but at one point she had a tantrum and left the set. Her agent pleaded with her to go back and resume her role, but she refused and her character was replaced. She does not appear in the final film.
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Her marriage to Anthony Franciosa broke up when he had an affair with Lauren Bacall. During their affair, Bacall called up Winters and complained, "I've been waiting for Tony for an hour. Where the hell is he?". Shelley said, "You're complaining to me because my husband is late for a date with you?". Bacall answered, "If your husband doesn't respect your marriage, why should I?".
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On the September 26, 1975 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), she grew tired of Oliver Reed's attitude towards women. They had a heated conversation and, after Winters told Reed what she thought of his opinions, she left the set. The show continued with Reed going on about women while Johnny Carson looked at him in a daze. Shortly afterward, Winters appeared from stage left, unannounced to Reed and to the shock of Carson. She was carrying a beverage glass and surprised Reed by dumping it over his head. Reed went on to finish his statement as if nothing had happened and later claimed the beverage was whiskey.
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Suffered a heart attack on October 14, 2005.
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She was a huge fan of the television series Babylon 5 (1994).
Has played the Marx Brothers' mother Minnie in the Broadway musical "Minnie's Boys", which ran at the Imperial Theatre for 80 Performances from March 26 to May 30, 1970. It was the penultimate performance of her eight Broadway appearances. She appeared in only one more Broadway show, "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds", which ran at the Biltmore Theatre for 16 performances from March 14 to March 26, 1978.
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Gave birth to her only child at age 32, a daughter Vittoria Gassman on February 14, 1953. Child's father was her 2nd ex-husband, Vittorio Gassman.
Has the distinction of currently being the highest ranked female performer on The Oracle of Bacon's list of the top 1000 performers based upon their "center of the film universe" average number. Winter's average link number is 2.696842, placing seventeenth on the list. This places her well above Kevin Bacon, who is currently ranked 1161st, despite being the original focus of the quirky game of linking actors through their co-stars.
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Made her Broadway debut as Ado Annie in "Oklahoma!" - five years into its run.
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Godmother of actress Sally Kirkland. Kirkland, also an ordained minister, conducted the wedding ceremony between Winters and Gerry DeFord ten hours before Winters died.
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Born at 12:05am-CDT
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Taught Marilyn Monroe how to "act" pretty by tilting her head back, keeping her eyes lowered and her mouth partly opened.
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Was roommates with Marilyn Monroe when they were both starting out in Hollywood.
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Her early acting training was under the tutelage of actor Charles Laughton.
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Her father was Jonas Schrift, her mother was Rose Schrift, and her sister was Blanche Schrift.
$10 Million
