This article is about the exceptionally talented American actress Muriel Teresa Wright. These remarks are not unjustified, since the woman became the only actress to receive Oscar nominations for the first three films of her career, as well as one Academy Award. Read more about her childhood, acting career accomplishments and personal life at manhattanski.
Early years
Muriel Teresa Wright was an American actress. Muriel Teresa was born on October 27, 1918, in Harlem, Manhattan, to Martha Espy and Arthur Hendricksen Wright. Her parents divorced when she was quite young, so she had to stay with relatives from time to time. It’s also worth noting that her uncle was an actor. The girl completed her secondary education at Columbia High School. Ultimately, Muriel chose to become an actress after watching Helen Hayes MacArthur play Victoria Regina in a stage production. Following that, she appeared in numerous plays throughout her school years. From 1937 to 1938, Wright studied acting at the Wharf Theater, where she got a scholarship.
Development of acting career
Muriel Teresa Wright began her performing career in theater. In 1939, she first appeared on stage in the play “Life with Father”, playing Mary Skinner. Her performance caught the attention of Samuel Goldwyn, an American film producer who subsequently offered to work with him. As a result, in 1941, the young actress played Bette Davis’ daughter in a film adaptation of the play “The Little Foxes”. Following the release of her debut picture, the girl received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, Muriel received another nomination, this time for Best Actress for her role as Eleanor Twitchell Gehrig in the film “The Pride of the Yankees.” In 1942, the actress won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Carol Beldon in the film “Mrs. Miniver”. It should be mentioned that this is a rare instance in which an actress won several nominations and an Academy Award for her first three works.
Further activities
In the next few years, the talented actress starred in such popular and notable films as “Shadow of a Doubt” as Charlotte “Charlie” Newton and “Best Years of Our Lives” as Peggy Stevenson. It should be noted that film directors and critics regarded Muriel Teresa Wright with high admiration. They believed she was incredibly intelligent and talented. Critic James Rufus Agee stated that even if the picture (“Best Years of Our Lives”) did not have hundreds of other positive aspects, he would watch it again and again simply for the sake of her exceptional personality. The actress subsequently appeared in pictures such as “The Men,” “Pursued,” and “Enchantment,” among others. In the 1950s, the woman starred in several unsuccessful films that performed poorly at the box office, including “Track of the Cat”, “The Actress”, “Count the Hours!”, “The Steel Trap”, “California Conquest”, “Something to Live For” and “The Capture”. Even though the movies were a failure, the actress’s work received favorable reviews. It should be mentioned that the woman eventually began to work more frequently in theater and on television. Wright appeared in a variety of performances, including “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs,” “Mary, Mary,” “Tchin-Tchin,” “Death of a Salesman,” and “Morning’s at Seven.” In 1960, the actress got two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one at 6405 Hollywood Boulevard and the other at 1658 Vine Street. Muriel’s last television appearance was in the 1997 film “The Rainmaker”.
Personal life
Muriel Teresa Wright married writer Niven Busch, and they were together from 1942 to 1952. The couple had two children. Later, the actress’ new partner was playwright and producer Robert Woodruff Anderson. In 1978, they broke up. Teresa Wright died of a heart attack on March 6, 2005, at the age of 86.