Bette Davis

Ruth Elizabeth Davis was known from early childhood as “Betty.” As a teen, Davis was inspired to become an actress and changed her name’s spelling to “Bette.” Davis starred in two Broadway plays in the 1920s and traveled to Hollywood in 1930. In the 1930s and early ’40s, Davis was one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, starting in dozens of films, including the critically acclaimed Of Human Bondage (1934) and Dangerous (1935). After some professional setbacks in the ‘40s and ‘50s, Davis experienced renewed success after starring in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in 1962. That same year, Davis became the first person to receive ten Oscar nominations for acting. Davis died in 1989 at age 81.