Helen Hayes

Biography

Helen Hayes was an American actress whose stage and screen career lasted 82 years. Born in Washington, D.C., she began performing as a five-year-old singer at the city's Belasco Theatre and by age 10 had made Jean and the Calico Doll, a short silent movie. Her sound film debut came in The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931), which won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, and she followed it with Arrowsmith (1931) and A Farewell to Arms (1932). Although she preferred the stage, she returned to Broadway in 1935 to play the title role in Victoria Regina for three years. In the 1950s she returned to Hollywood, starring in Anastasia (1956), and she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Airport (1970). Later Disney roles included One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975), Candleshoe (1977) and Herbie Rides Again (1974). She was the first woman to win an EGOT and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1986.

92years old at death

Born October 10, 1900Washington, D.C.
Died March 17, 1993Nyack
Star sign: LibraThe sign runs September 23 to October 22
Helen Hayes Brown (birth name)Also credited as Helen Hayes MacArthur

Movie Career

Films: 16
Career span: 54 years1931 to 1985

Genres

Drama63%, 10 films
Comedy25%, 4 films
Romance25%, 4 films
Adventure19%, 3 films
Crime19%, 3 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

First role
Hayes began her stage career at age five, singing at Washington's Belasco Theatre on Lafayette Square, directly across from the White House.
A first
In 1953, Hayes became the first person to receive the Sarah Siddons Award for her Chicago theater work. She won the same award again in 1969.

Helen Hayes movies on Netflix

Murder with Mirrors1985IMDb rating 6.3as Miss Jane Marple
A Caribbean Mystery1983IMDb rating 6.3as Miss Jane Marple
Murder Is Easy1982IMDb rating 6.1as Lavinia Fullerton
Candleshoe1977IMDb rating 6.7as Lady St.Edmund
Victory at Entebbe1976IMDb rating 5.9as Etta Grossman-Wise
One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing1975IMDb rating 5.9as Hettie
Herbie Rides Again1974IMDb rating 5.7as Mrs. Steinmetz
Airport1970IMDb rating 6.6as Ada Quonsett
Third Man on the Mountain1959IMDb rating 7.0as Hotel guest
Anastasia1956IMDb rating 7.0as Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna
Main Street to Broadway1953IMDb rating 6.0as Helen Hayes
Stage Door Canteen1943IMDb rating 6.3as Helen Hayes
Night Flight1933IMDb rating 6.1as Madame Fabian
A Farewell to Arms1932IMDb rating 6.4as Catherine
Arrowsmith1931IMDb rating 6.2as Leora Tozer Arrowsmith
The Sin of Madelon Claudet1931IMDb rating 6.6as Madelon Claudet

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Herbie Rides Again1974 Comedy, Family, Fantasyas Mrs. Steinmetz
IMDb rating 5.79.7K votes
A Farewell to Arms1932 Drama, Romance, Waras Catherine
IMDb rating 6.47.7K votes
Anastasia1956as Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna
IMDb rating 7.010K votes
Candleshoe1977as Lady St.Edmund
IMDb rating 6.75.5K votes
Airport1970as Ada Quonsett
IMDb rating 6.625K votes
The Sin of Madelon Claudet1931as Madelon Claudet
IMDb rating 6.61.3K votes
Murder with Mirrors1985as Miss Jane Marple
IMDb rating 6.31.8K votes
Arrowsmith1931as Leora Tozer Arrowsmith
IMDb rating 6.22.3K votes

Most often with

Robert Stevenson directed two of these films, Frank Borzage two. Five actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Burt Lancaster

Myrna Loy

Lionel Barrymore

Leo McKern

Tallulah BankheadRobert StevensonDirector, 2 films Frank BorzageDirector, 2 films

Films together

Burt Lancaster2 films together, 1970 to 1976
Burt Lancaster's page
- Victory at Entebbe1976IMDb rating 5.9Hayes as Etta Grossman-WiseLancaster as Shimon Peres
- Airport1970IMDb rating 6.6Hayes as Ada QuonsettLancaster as Mel Bakersfeld
Myrna Loy2 films together, 1931 to 1933
Myrna Loy's page
- Night Flight1933IMDb rating 6.1Hayes as Madame FabianLoy as Wife of Brazilian Pilot
- Arrowsmith1931IMDb rating 6.2Hayes as Leora Tozer ArrowsmithLoy as Joyce Lanyon
Lionel Barrymore2 films together, 1933 to 1953
Lionel Barrymore's page
- Main Street to Broadway1953IMDb rating 6.0Hayes as Helen HayesBarrymore as Lionel Barrymore
- Night Flight1933IMDb rating 6.1Hayes as Madame FabianBarrymore as Robineau
Leo McKern2 films together, 1977 to 1985
Leo McKern's page
- Murder with Mirrors1985IMDb rating 6.3Hayes as Miss Jane MarpleMcKern as Insp. Curry
- Candleshoe1977IMDb rating 6.7Hayes as Lady St.EdmundMcKern as Bundage
Tallulah Bankhead2 films together, 1943 to 1953
Tallulah Bankhead's page
- Main Street to Broadway1953IMDb rating 6.0Hayes as Helen HayesBankhead as Tallulah Bankhead
- Stage Door Canteen1943IMDb rating 6.3Hayes as Helen HayesBankhead as Tallulah Bankhead
Robert StevensonDirector, 2 films, 1974 to 1975
All films by Robert Stevenson
- One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing1975IMDb rating 5.9Hayes as Hettie
- Herbie Rides Again1974IMDb rating 5.7Hayes as Mrs. Steinmetz
Frank BorzageDirector, 2 films, 1932 to 1943
All films by Frank Borzage
- Stage Door Canteen1943IMDb rating 6.3Hayes as Helen Hayes
- A Farewell to Arms1932IMDb rating 6.4Hayes as Catherine

Awards

Twelve awards and honors from 1932 to 1986, six of them major.

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Helen Hayes's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Academy Awards
1971	Best Supporting Actress	Airport	Won
1932	Best Actress	The Sin of Madelon Claudet	Won
Emmy Awards
1953	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series		Won
Tony Awards
1958	Best Actress in a Play		Won
1947	Best Actress in a Play		Won
Grammy Awards
	Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording		Won
Other honors
1986	Presidential Medal of Freedom		Won
1979	Laetare Medal		Won
1973	Ladies' Home Journal Women of the Year		Won
1973	National Women's Hall of Fame		Won
1970	Golden Plate Award		Won
	Kennedy Center Honors		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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