In The Last Picture Show, Ellen Burstyn plays the unhappy wife of the town’s richest man who tries to warn her beautiful teenage daughter about the pitfalls of adulthood. When the film came out in 1971, Ellen’s heartfelt performance garnered a lot of Academy Awards buzz. “I found the amount of my wanting it just disgusting,” Ellen, 91, tells Closer. “So on the morning they announced [the nominees], I drove to the beach and sat there all day, not knowing whether or not I had been nominated so I could separate myself from that profound yearning experience I was feeling.” It was only when Ellen returned home and found her apartment filled with flower arrangements, that she realized she’d been nominated.
Ellen would win an Oscar a few years later for her starring role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. This gifted actress is also a recipient of Tony and Emmy awards for her work in theater and television — including a recurring part as Christopher Meloni’s mother, Bernadette, on the Law & Order franchise. “I’m most proud that I’m still working,” Ellen says, “that I’ve been able to sustain a career all these years.”
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I thought of being a veterinarian, but I always felt that I was an actress. Whenever I got onstage in school, it felt like something I knew I could do. It’s what came to me naturally.
Who were your favorite actresses back then?
Betty Grable and June Haver. I really thought at that time of wearing sequined dresses and being glamorous.
Was your family supportive of your dreams?
My mother, when I told her, said, “Oh, you’ve got pipe dreams in your head.” But it was clear to me it was what I could do.
You made your debut on Broadway in 1957. How did it come about?
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DIANA RIGG Always Ahead of Her Time
THE STAR OF TV'S THE AVENGERS FOUGHT SEXISM AND REVELED IN EVERY KIND OF ACTING ROLE
HALLE BERRY FIGHTING for My Family
THE OSCAR-WINNING ACTRESS WANTS HER TWO CHILDREN TO BE WELL PREPARED FOR BRIGHT FUTURES
Memories of My Father, LAURENCE OLIVIER
IN HIS LATER YEARS, THE GREAT BRITISH ACTOR EMBRACED A SIMPLER LIFESTYLE
MICHAEL RICHARDS Why I'm HAPPIER TODAY
The Seinfeld alum talks about his new memoir, raising a son and his fresh lease on life
5 WAYS TO STOP HUNGER PANGS
BEFORE YOU START SNACKING, TRY ONE OF THESE EASY TIPS!
Creative Ways With HUMBLE BEANS
Fast, easy and flavorful, these recipes give protein- and fiber-rich beans a delicious facelift
The PRINCESS DIANA Only I Knew
THE ROYAL'S PRIVATE BALLET INSTRUCTOR OF NEARLY A DECADE SHARES THE SECRETS OF THEIR FRIENDSHIP
BARBARA STANWYCK The Man She Couldn't Forget
THE SCREEN LEGEND NEVER MARRIED AGAIN AFTER SPLITTING UP WITH ACTOR ROBERT TAYLOR
RAQUEL WELCH PERSONAL TREASURES FOR SALE
On Sept. 5-what would have been Raquel Welch's 84th birthday fans and collectors can bid on more than 250 items personally owned by the late entertainer.
She Was an INDEPENDENT SPIRIT
THE STAR OF THE NOTEBOOK HAD AN INNATE TALENT FOR BRINGING COMPLICATED WOMEN TO VIVID LIFE
