Celebrities , Hollywood●0 min read●
Meet Greer Garson: The British-American Actor Who Won An Oscar For ‘Mrs. Miniver’
You must have heard the name of the famous film Mrs. Miniver. Do you remember the lead woman protagonist who played the role of the mother and wife who was brave and dutiful to her country at the time of the air attacks by the Nazis? She is none other than Greer Garson.
Garson is considered to be one of the most famous actresses of the World War II era of Hollywood. Her charismatic performance and her grace and poise made her one of the most nominated actresses at the Oscars.
Want to know more about her? All you need to do is scroll down…
Greer Garson
Born in the year 1904, Greer Garson was a British-American singer and actress. She came into the limelight during the Second World War for her role as a strong woman on the homefront.
Greer Garson is considered to be one of the most popular and versatile actresses in the history of Hollywood. She is also the fourth most nominated actress in the category of Best Actress for the Academy Awards.
If you want to know more about the life of Greer Garson, you have come to the best place. Keep reading to learn…
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Biography
Born in 1904 in London, Greer Garson’s full name is Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson. She is one of the most famous Motion picture actresses who is remembered both for her beauty as well as acting skills. Her elegance and maternal virtues have made her place permanent in the heart of Hollywood. This is the reason why she is one of the most admired Hollywood stars from the World War II era.
She claimed that she was born in Ireland and lived with her grandparents there. However, according to detailed research, it has been found that she was, in fact, born and brought up in London. She was born to George Garson and Nancy Sophia (Greer).
| Name: | Greer Garson |
| Full Name/ Birth Name: | Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson |
| Mother: | Nancy Sophia (Greer) |
| Father: | George Garson |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Date of Birth: | September 29th, 1904 |
| Spouse(s): | Edward Alec Abbot Snelson (1933-1943)Richard Ney (1943-1948)E. E. Fogelson (1949-1987) |
| Height: | 1.68 m |
| Age: | 91 years |
| Death: | April 6th, 1996 |
| Cause of Death: | Cardiac Failure |
Her father was a commercial clerk, and her practical-minded family led her to pursue a career in teaching. This is one of the reasons why she claims that she did not have any interest in acting and becoming an actress in her early years.
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Career
While she was teaching, she used to work in the local theater during her off-hours. This was when she started gaining massive popularity with her performance. She made her debut in 1932 with the Birmingham Repertory Theater in Elmer Rice’s Street Scene. She also was a part of the play Too Good To Be True by G. B. Shaw. This was the play that brought fame to her.
Soon after the play Old Music, in 1938, Louis B. Mayer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) signed her to a contract with the MGM Studio.
According to an article published by the Irish Times in 1996, Garson “left the British stage to become the 1940s Hollywood symbol of self sacrificing womanhood.”
She was nominated seven times for the Oscars and won her first Academy Award in the year 1942 for her role in Mrs. Miniver. She played the role of a dutiful mother and wife who was brave before and unruffled by the air attacks and shelling by the Nazis during the world war.
“When you can’t wait for your ship to come in, you’ve got to row out to it.”
Some of her most significant films of Garson are Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Blossoms in the Dust, Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Miniver, and Random Harvest. However, the film that cemented her place in the industry was Mrs. Miniver in 1942. The film showed the grace and poise of Garson.
However, after the war, Garson’s career faltered. Her image was reduced to a less noble heroine after she attempted to experiment with her roles in more fun-loving films. These films include Adventure (in 1946) and Julia Misbehaves (in 1948). For example, her importance back in the day was similar to that of Meryl Streep, who is presently one of the most famous veteran Hollywood actresses.
“I do wish I could tell you my age but it’s impossible. It keeps changing all the time.”
After her portrayal of the role of Eleanor Roosevelt in the film Sunrise at Campobello (1960), the movie that earned her her seventh nomination at the Academy Awards, she performed only occasionally and devoted her time to various philanthropic causes.
During her final years, she resided in a penthouse suite in Dallas at the Presbyterian Hospital. She died in 1996 from heart failure. At the time of her death, she was 91 years old.
Filmography
If you have been searching for the ‘Greer Garson movies list,’ you have reached the destination. Here are the famous movies in which she acted:
| NAME | YEAR |
| Goodbye, Mr. Chips | 1939 |
| Pride and Prejudice | 1940 |
| Blossoms in the Dust | 1941 |
| Mrs. Miniver | 1942 |
| Madame Curie | 1943 |
| Mrs. Parkington | 1944 |
| The Valley Of Decision | 1945 |
| Adventure | 1945 |
| Desire Me | 1947 |
| Julia Misbehaves | 1948 |
| Scandal at Scourie | 1953 |
| Sunrise at Campobello | 1960 |
Personal life
Garson’s life was nothing less of an adventure itself. She got married thrice.
Her first marriage was to Sir Edward in the year 1933. He was a civil servant, a noted judge, and an expert in Indian affairs. However, their marriage did not last as he had to return back to Nagpur, India. They got a formal divorce in 1943.
Garson married for the second time on July 24th, 1943. She married Richard Ney. He was a young actor who played the role of her son in the film Mrs. Miniver.
This relationship was under constant scrutiny because of the massive age gap of 12 years. They got divorced in 1947 after just four years of being together.
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Her third marriage was to Buddy Fogelson, a millionaire in Texas. He was an oilman and horse breeder. They got married in 1949 and stayed together till death.
Greer Garson’s Most Iconic Dialogues:
How can we keep talking about Greer Garson and not touch upon her most iconic dialogues? Without wasting time, here we go!
1. “Starting out to make money is the greatest mistake in life. Do what you feel you have a flair for doing, and if you are good enough at it, the money will come.”
2. “I’m not a keyhole peeper in real life, so why should I go to the cinema to be a keyhole peeper? Producers should have more courage. People will respond to stories with love, courage and happy endings instead of shockers. I think the mirror should be tilted slightly upward when it’s reflecting life – toward the cheerful, the tender, the compassionate, the brave, the funny, the encouraging – and not tilted down to the troubled vistas of conflict.”
3. “All I know about getting something that you want is that there are three essential things: wanting, trying, and getting the opportunity, the breaks. None works alone without the others. Wanting is basic. Trying is up to you. And the breaks – I do know this, they always happen.”
4. “People are always asking me what it was like during the golden years of Hollywood. That was in the 1920s and ’30s – which wasn’t my period. My period, the ’40s and ’50s, is what I call the romantic years of Hollywood.”
5. “I’ve been offered nymphomaniacs, kleptomaniacs, pyromaniacs, homicidal maniacs and just plain maniacs. I think producers felt that after playing a long series of noble and admirable characters there would be quite a lot of shock value in seeing me play something altogether different. But I prefer upbeat stories that send people out of the theater feeling better than they did coming in. It’s my cup of tea.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out the most frequently asked questions related to Greer Garson mentioned below in detail.
1. Did Walter Pidgeon And Greer Garson Get Along?
Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson starred in as many as eight movies. They are one of the most memorable couples in the history of the Hollywood film industry. She even called Pidgeon a “perfect picture companion.” They remained great friends till the very end of their lives.
2. Did Greer Garson Marry The Man Who Played Her Son In The Film Mrs. Miniver?
In the year 1943, greer garson married Richard Ney. he was a younger actor who played in the movie Mrs. Miniver along with her. In the film, Ney played the role of her son.
3. What Happened To Greer Garson?
Greer Garson died in the year 1996 on 6th April after suffering from cardiac failure.
4.Where Is Greer Garson Grave?
After her death, Greer Garson was buried next to her husband Fogelson in Dallas in the Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.
5. What Is The Name Of Greer Garson’s Daughter?
If you have been searching for the name of her daughter, stop. She didn’t have a daughter. Rather, she was the stepmother of Gayle D. Fogelson. He was the son of her third husband, Buddy Fogelson, and his wife, Mary Perry Fogelson.
Wrapping Up!
Greer Garson is one of the most famous actresses of the World War II era in Hollywood. She is also one of the most nominated actresses in the history of the Academy Awards. She won her first Oscar in 1942 for the movie Mrs. Miniver.
Greer Garson married thrice to three extremely influential men. Her first marriage was to Sir Edward in 1933. She married again in the year 1943 to her co-star in the movie Mrs. Miniver. It was Richard Ney, the actor who played her son in the movie. Her final marriage to Fogelson, in 1949, lasted till his death in the year 1987.
There are many Greer Darson movies, but some of her most significant and famous films include Mrs. Miniver, Madame Curie, and Sunrise at Campobello.
