I'm not going to get into a discussion about the 1997 James Cameron blockbuster hit in this post. I need to save that topic for when I have more time to write. But I know we all remember the actress who played 'old Rose' in the film. I always thought, "This woman had to be around when the Titanic sank in 1912." Well, she was actually almost two years old at the time. Sadly, she passed away Sept. 26, 2010.
Her death was brought to my attention by my wonderful boss/editor/mentor, Bonnie. (She's the one who pushed me to blog about Titanic.) Anyway, upon reading an article about her life, I found it to be fascinating! Let me share:
Gloria Stuart was born July 4, 1910, which made her 100 years old at her time of death. Ironically, this was the age of old Rose's character. For her portrayal of Rose DeWitt Bukater, Stuart became the oldest nominee for an Academy Award. However, most people never knew of her extensive career that spanned more than 80 years.
Between the years 1932 and 1946, the beautiful California blonde acted in more than 40 films. Some include The Invisible Man (1933), The Old Dark House (1932) and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938). By the late 1940s, Stuart decided to leave Hollywood for one reason or another. She did not return to the big screen until 1982, when she acted alongside Peter O'Toole in My Favorite Year. It was still another 15 years until Stuart would star in her biggest role. She was quoted in the Chicago Tribune as saying about her Titanic character,"If I had been given plum roles like this back in the old days, I would have stayed in Hollywood.”
Stuart was an old Hollywood soul who brought depth and wisdom to her acting. She made us believe she was the older version of Kate Winslet. Too bad it took decades for her to find a role to leave an imprint on our generation.
For more photos of Stuart, I found this great slide show from Life.com.
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