Gloria Frances Stuart was born on 4th July 1910, in Santa Monica, California USA, and was an actress with a two-part career. In the 1930s, she had minor success with films like “The Invisible Man” and “The Prisoner of Shark Island”, before she retired from the film business. She celebrated a big comeback in 1997 in the movie “Titanic” by James Cameron. For her appearance she received nomination for an Oscar as the Best Supporting Actress (the oldest actress ever nominated). She passed away in 2010.
How much was the net worth of Gloria Stuart? It has been estimated by authoritative sources that the overall size of her wealth was as much as $5 million, converted to the present day. Film and television were the main sources of Stuart’s wealth.
Gloria Stuart (Actress) Net Worth $5 million
To begin with, the girl was raised in Santa Monica, California, attending Santa Monica High School and then studying drama and philosophy at the University of Southern California. After acting in college theatre groups and other amateur productions, Stewart signed a contract with Universal Studios in 1932.
Concerning her professional career, she made her film debut in 1932, and in the same year she was elected to WAMPAS Baby Stars of the Year. She debuted in James Whales’ horror comedy “The Old Dark House” (1932) creating a major supporting role at the side of Boris Karloff. A year later, Whale gave her a role in the horror classic “The Invisible Man”, appearing as a lover of a mad scientist (Claude Rains). After a few more films, however, she was pushed more and more into the background, and ended up in insignificant productions. Because of illness she missed the role of Hermia in Max Reinhardt’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in 1935. and Olivia de Havilland took over the above mentioned role. She celebrated her last successes in the 1930s with films “The Gold Digger of 1935” and “The Prisoner of Shark Island”. Her move to 20th Century Fox did not change anything, and so in the middle of 1940s Stuart decided to go back to the theatre.
Gloria retired from acting in 1946, to devote herself to painting; it should be noted that several of her works were exhibited in American and European art galleries. However, she resumed her acting career in 1975, mostly in guest or support roles in TV films and series, until in 1997, Stuart interpreted the role of old Rose in the blockbuster “Titanic”, for which role she received an Oscar nomination as the Best Supporting Actress, so entering the history of Academy Awards as at 87 the oldest actress ever nominated, as well as Stuart and Kate Winslet being the first two actresses for the same role in a movie nominated in two different categories – Winslet was also nominated for her role of the young Rose in the category Best Actress. In 1998, Gloria appeared in a music video of the band Hanson, and her last role was in the drama film “Land of Plenty” (2004) directed by Wim Wenders.
Finally, in the personal life of the actress, she was married twice, from 1930 to 1934 to Blair Gordon Newell, then in 1934 to Arthur Sheekman – they had a daughter, and lived together until his death in 1978. She subsequently lived with Ward Ritchie from 1983 until his death from cancer in 1996. On 26th September 2010, Gloria Stuart died from pneumonia at the age of 100 in her home in West Los Angeles, California.
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress, Screen Actors Guild Ralph Morgan Award, Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Act...
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Movies
Titanic, The Invisible Man, The Old Dark House, Gold Diggers of 1935, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The Prisoner of Shark Island, Roman Scandals, My Favorite Year, The Million Dollar Hotel, The Kiss Before the Mirror, Poor Little Rich Girl, The Love Letter, Here Comes the Navy, Secret of the Blue Room...
[on not signing with Paramount in retrospect during a 1988 interview] I think it would have made all the difference. I might have gone on in films. I think of the ones that started out with me, the same place same station - Bette Davis, Ginger Rogers, Olivia de Havilland. I would have liked to have won an Academy Award, to have acted in one or two of the things they've all done. So that part I regret. But I have to think of what went with it, for them, the many marriages, problems with children, career difficulties - I wouldn't trade any of their lives for mine. I'm very blessed, I think. I've had a happy, fulfilled life.
2
[on James Cagney] Cagney was wonderful. Jimmy and I worked together getting the Guild going - he was one of the stalwart liberals then. And that whole Warner Brothers stock company of Irishmen were always having a good time. They were darling men, funny and amusing to be with.
3
[on Claude Rains in The Invisible Man (1933)] Claude Rains was what was known as an actor's actor. No quarter was asked and none given. A scene stealer? Whenever possible, yes. But with James Whale again you didn't worry much. One way or another, you ended up in the position Whale wanted you in. And since Claude spent the entire film wrapped in bandages, you couldn't blame him for trying.
4
[on celebrating her 100th birthday on July 4, 2010] I would say I don't notice any difference between 100 and, say, 90. You're still frail, feeble and full of you-know-what.
5
[on receiving the Ralph Morgan Award for her years of service] I'm very, very grateful. I've had a wonderful life of giving and sharing.
6
[on her comeback as the elderly Rose in Titanic (1997)] I think that's the important thing. If you're full of love, admiration, appreciation of the beautiful things there are in this life, you have it made, really. And I have it made.
7
Onward and Upward - Avanti!
8
When I graduated from Santa Monica High in 1927, I was voted the girl most likely to succeed. I didn't realize it would take so long.
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Fact
1
At the height of her early career as a contract player for 20th Century Fox, a young fan of Stuart's--Ray Pearl, from Chicago--had her portrait tattooed across his chest. Stuart met with Pearl in person, an event which was photographed and profiled in Life magazine in the fall of 1937.
2
Helped form the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League in 1936.
3
Was a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild.
4
Appeared in at least two films that feature a horrific cruise ship disaster, released almost exactly sixty years apart: Girl Overboard (1937) and Titanic (1997).
While a very young Stuart was appearing in the Pasadena Playhouse, not only was a Paramount casting director there, but also an agent from Universal who was there to see her leading man was also. She received contract offers from both studios but was advised to sign with Universal because it was not a major studio at the time and that would afford her more opportunities.
Although it was rumored that she was buried at several well-known Hollywood cemeteries, Gloria Stuart was cremated and her ashes were distributed, according to her lifelong wishes, in Santa Monica Bay, as family, friends and Titanic (1997) crew and cast members stood on the Santa Monica Pier.
In Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935), Stuart played a young woman whose mother pushes her to marry an unlikable rich man, but the young woman falls in love with a poor man. In Titanic (1997), Stuart's character did the very same thing 84 years earlier.
14
Interviewed in "It Came from Horrorwood: Interviews with Moviemakers in the SF and Horror Tradition" by Tom Weaver (McFarland, 1996).
15
Her eleven great-grandchildren are Jacob Thompson; Samuel Thompson; Deborah Thompson; Tziporah Thompson, Sarah-Leah Thompson; Dylan Sapia, Weston Sapia, Stuart Sapia, Jasen Sapia, Maggie Thompson and Frannie Whelan.
16
Her four grandchildren are David Oxley Thompson, born on January 15, 1957 in Berkeley, California; Benjamin Stuart Thompson, born on September 21, 1959 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England; Dinah Vaughn Thompson, born on December 6, 1960 in Los Angeles, California; and Amanda Thompson, born on July 30, 1962 in Berkeley, California.
17
Her younger brother, Frank Finch, an esteemed sports writer for the Los Angeles Times, was born in 1911.
18
Her younger brother, Thomas Stewart, died in infancy in 1912 from spinal meningitis.
19
She graduated from Santa Monica High School in 1927 and attended the University of California, Berkeley but dropped out.
20
Stepdaughter of Fred J. Finch, a Kentucky native who owned a local funeral parlor and held oil leases in Texas.
21
She has four grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.
22
Turned down Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938) because she felt that the material was not to her dramatic acting abilities; however, Darryl F. Zanuck forced her to do the picture, and explained that she would be seen by millions, due to Shirley Temple's popularity. Stuart agreed in a 1998 interview that Zanuck was correct.
23
Following her husband's death, she engaged in a 13-year friendship with printer Ward Ritchie, born in 1904. They first met in 1930 when he was best friends with first husband, sculptor Blair Gordon Newell. The two reacquainted in March 1983 and he taught her fine printing. They remained close until his death in 1996.
24
Her daughter, Sylvia Vaughn (Sheekman) Thompson Park (born June 19, 1935) is a gourmet food writer and has authored several cookbooks.
25
Shortened her last name from "Stewart" to "Stuart" because she thought its six letters balanced perfectly on a theater's marquee with the six letters in "Gloria".
26
At age 86, she was aged by makeup to play Rose DeWitt Bukater at age 101 in Titanic (1997). However, Stuart did not find this a pleasant experience.
27
Titanic (1997) was her second film that featured a doomed ship. One of her early films, Here Comes the Navy (1934), was filmed aboard the USS Arizona.
28
She was the only cast member of Titanic (1997) who was alive at the time of the actual disaster. Stuart lived to be 100 years old, the same age as her character in the film.
29
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World (1998).
30
At age 87, she was the oldest person ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.
$5 million
