Claudette Colbert
French-American actress who won an Oscar for It Happened One Night.
Claudette Colbert (September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996), also known as Lily Claudette Chauchoin, was a French-American stage and film actress. She began her career on Broadway in the late 1920s and moved to films with the advent of talking pictures, becoming one of the most popular stars of the 1930s and 1940s. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for It Happened One Night (1934) and was named the 12th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute in 1999.
- born
- September 13, 1903, in Saint-Mandé, France
- died
- July 30, 1996
- field
- Actress (stage, film, television)
- nationality
- French-American
- known_for
- Academy Award for Best Actress for It Happened One Night; frequent co-star of Fred MacMurray and Fredric March; Mid-Atlantic accent and versatility in light comedy and emotional drama
Lore & Background
Claudette Colbert was born Émilie 'Lily' Claudette Chauchoin in Saint-Mandé, France, to Jeanne and Georges Chauchoin. Her family immigrated to Manhattan in 1906 after financial reverses. She grew up bilingual, learning Channel Island English from her grandmother, and studied at Washington Irving High School. Her speech teacher encouraged her to audition for a play, leading to her stage debut in 1921 at the Provincetown Playhouse. She initially intended to become a fashion designer and attended the Art Students League of New York, paying for her education by working in a dress shop. She adopted the stage name Claudette Colbert, using her father's grandmother's maiden name.
Reader's Guide
Claudette Colbert's significance lies in her successful transition from Broadway to film during the early sound era, where her Mid-Atlantic accent and elegant demeanor made her a natural for talkies. She was under contract with Paramount Pictures and later worked as a freelance actress, appearing in more than 60 movies, most with top billing. Her Academy Award for It Happened One Night (1934) cemented her status, and she earned two other Oscar nominations for Private Worlds (1935) and Since You Went Away (1944). She also received a Tony Award nomination for The Marriage-Go-Round (1959) and a Golden Globe for The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (1987). Her legacy includes being named the 12th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute in 1999.
Did You Know?
- Colbert was born in Saint-Mandé, France, and immigrated to Manhattan in 1906.
- She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for It Happened One Night (1934).
- She co-starred with Fred MacMurray in seven films between 1935 and 1949.
- Her television appearance in The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (1987) earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Claudette Colbert (September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996) was a French-born American stage and film actress." — Claudette Colbert "Why do grandparents and grandchildren get along so well? They have the same enemy—the mother." — Claudette Colbert "It took me years to figure out that you don't fall into a tub of butter, you jump for it." — Claudette Colbert
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