SUSAN HAYWARD

After Susan Hayward’s time as a fashion model, she went on to pursue a Hollywood career in 1937. She became famous during the 1940s and 1950s because of her courageous portrayal of many strong-willed character roles. By the late 1940s, her film roles had improved, and her dramatic ability was recognized. She even garnered five Academy Awards for Best Actress for her stunning performance in A Woman’s Story.

Because of her portrayal of death row prisoner Barbara Graham in I Want to Live, she eventually won the Oscar Award for Best Actress. Her professional career lasted until the early 1970s. In 1975, the actress died of brain cancer. Her death was attributed to a certain degree of radioactive fallout from atomic bomb tests when she filmed The Conqueror in 1956. Sadly, out of staff, crew, and cast totaling 220 people, 91 of them developed cancer. Actors John Wayne and Agnes Moorehead were affected too. We could only hope this won’t happen again in the film industry.