Thursday, April 2, 2009

The Great and Amazing Life of Jessie Tandy

Jessie Alice "Jessica" Tandy was born in London, England, June 7, 1909. She was born to Jessie Helen and Harry Tandy. Sadly, she died on September 11, 1994 tragically of ovarian cancer. In Jessie’s lifetime she had two marriages. Her first marriage was to Jack Hawkins on September 27, 1932. This marriage didn’t work out so she divorced him in 1940.She had one daughter from him, Susan Hawkins. In 1942, Jessie went for it again and married Hume Cronyn. Fortunately, this marriage worked out and she stayed with him until she made him a widower when she died of cancer. From Hume, Jessie had 2 children, daughter Tandy and son Christopher.

Jessica got to live her dream on stage as an actress. Studying at the Ben Greet Academy, her first appearance under the lights was on the London stage in 1926 at the age of 16, playing Katherine in King Lear. When her first marriage ended, she relocated to New York. Here she met her second husband. In 1944, Jessica stared in her first American film, “The Seventh Cross”. Acting in American films was probably the best thing for her 67 year career. In her prosperous acting career, she won four Tony Awards, including the 1993 Special Tony Award lifetime achievement award. Her amazing work in Foxfire won her an Emmy Award in 1987. In 1989, she won an Oscar for her vibrant presentation in Driving Miss Daisy. In order to be in showbiz, you have to have the look. In 1990, Jessie was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world! Not only did she have the looks and talent for the camera, she had the brains. In 1974, Jessie earned her law degree. After a long and prosperous career, it finally came to an end with her last performance in Camilla, at the ripe old age of 84.


Sources:

Video of Jessie recieving her Tony Life Time Achivement Award:

TEAM CAST
P-8
Posted by at