Ava Gardner Biography

Fast Facts

• For her performance in "The Night of the Iguana," she won the Prize San Sebastián for Best Actress at the 1964 San Sebastián International Film Festival
• Ranked No․ 25 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years․․․ 100 Stars" list for Female Legends
• Was awarded a Star on the Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures in 1960
• Helped her mother operate boarding houses throughout her youth
• Quote: "I have only one rule in acting -- trust the director and give him heart and soul․"
• Quote: "After my screen test, the director clapped his hands gleefully and yelled, 'She can't talk! She can't act! She's sensational!'"
• Some of her best work allowed her to be darker or earthier than the image MGM tried to project for her
• She was contracted by MGM based almost solely on a photograph, and was renowned for her beauty throughout her acting career
• Learned Flamenco for "The Barefoot Contessa," and it became one of her favorite ways to spend her free time
• Loved to go barefoot, a habit she picked up on the tobacco farm where she was born
• Met author J․R․R․ Tolkien, but neither party knew what the other was famous for