Celeste Holm

Vocation

Notable

Family

American actress, singer, pianist and entertainer born to Norwegian parents. She was educated in Holland, France and the U.S., taking ballet and drama classes. Studying at the Univ. of Chicago, she made her professional stage debut at 17 at the Pennsylvania stock company. Broadway in 1938 and a triumphal appearance in the long running "Oklahoma." She signed a long term contract with 20th Century Fox making her screen debut in 1946 and winning an Academy Award for best supporting actress in the film "Gentleman's Agreement." An intelligent and remarkably versatile actress, she was twice nominated for Oscars and made many memorable appearances in a wide range of roles, both in leads and supporting, in film, stage, radio, nightclubs and TV. Holm was Knighted by King Olav V of Norway in 1979 and in 1982, she was named by President Reagan to the National Council for the Arts. The following year was appointed chairman of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Development Commission. Holm's first husband was director Ralph Nelson and her fourth husband was actor Wesley Addy (b. 8/04/1913, Omaha, NE). At age 85, the actress married Frank Basile, a 41-year-old opera singer, in New York City on April, 29, 2004. After a four-year courtship, they invited a judge to perform the wedding ceremony in front of 300 friends at Sardi’s restaurant. Holm died at her Manhattan apartment at 3:30 on 15 July 2012, two weeks after having been hospitalized for dehydration following a fire in her building and two days after suffering a heart attack. Link to Wikipedia biography