Shelley Winters
Biography
Shelley Winters, born Shirley Schrift on August 18, 1920 in St. Louis, Missouri, was an American actress whose career spanned almost six decades. She appeared in numerous films, accumulating over 210 credited roles. Winters won Academy Awards for her performances in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and A Patch of Blue (1965) and received nominations for A Place in the Sun (1951) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Among her other notable film appearances are A Double Life (1947), The Night of the Hunter (1955), Lolita (1962), Alfie (1966), Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976) and Pete's Dragon (1977). She also had a years‑long tenure on the television sitcom Roseanne and authored three autobiographical books. Winters died on January 14 2006 at age 85.
Career overview
Shelley Winters, born Shirley Schrift on August 18, 1920 in St. Louis, Missouri, was an American actress whose career extended across almost six decades. She amassed more than two hundred credited performances, encompassing a wide range of film work. Winters earned Academy Awards for her performances in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and A Patch of Blue (1965), and received Oscar nominations for A Place in the Sun (1951) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Among her notable film appearances are A Double Life (1947), The Night of the Hunter (1955), Lolita (1962), Alfie (1966), Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976) and Pete’s Dragon (1977).
In addition to her extensive film work, Winters maintained a presence on television, including a years‑long tenure on the sitcom Roseanne. Beyond acting, she authored three autobiographical books, contributing to her legacy as a writer as well as a performer. Winters passed away on January 14, 2006 at the age of 85, leaving behind a body of work that reflects a prolific and award‑winning career in both cinema and television.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Groucho & Cavett (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- My Darling Vivian (2020) as Self (archive footage)
- The Fabulous Allan Carr (2017) as Self (archive)
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) as (archive footage)
- George Stevens and His Place In The Sun (2001) as Self (archive footage)
- On Cukor (2000) as Self
- Boom! Hollywood's Greatest Disaster Movies (2000) as Self
- La bomba (1999) as Prof. Summers
- Gideon (1998) as Mrs. Willows
- Portrait: Jane Campion and The Portrait of a Lady (1997) as Self
- The Portrait of a Lady (1996) as Mrs. Touchett
- Valley Girls (1996) as Lady in Truck
- Backfire! (1995) as The Good Lieutenant
- Raging Angels (1995) as Grandma Ruth
- Moving Pictures: 'The Night of the Hunter' (1995) as Self
- Heavy (1995) as Dolly Modino
- Jury Duty (1995) as Mrs. Collins
- The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder (1995)
- Mrs. Munck (1995) as Aunt Monica
- Marlon Brando: The Wild One (1994) as Self
- The Silence of the Hams (1994) as Mrs. Motel (The Mother)
- Inside the Actors Studio (1994) as Self
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self - Guest
- Politically Incorrect (1993)
- The Pickle (1993) as Yetta
- Vicki! (1992) as Self - Guest
- Weep No More, My Lady (1992) as Vivian Morgan
- Charlie Rose (1991) as Self
- Stepping Out (1991) as Mrs. Fraser
- Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star (1991) as Self (archive footage)
- Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol (1990) as Self
- Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge (1990) as Self
- Touch of a Stranger (1990) as Lily
- An Unremarkable Life (1989) as Evelyn McEllany
- Skip E. Lowe Looks at Hollywood (1989)
- Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre (1989) as Self
- Roseanne (1988) as Nana Mary
- Purple People Eater (1988) as Rita
- Hello Actors Studio (1988) as Self
- The Delta Force (1986) as Edie Kaplan
- Very Close Quarters (1986) as Galina
- Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend (1986) as Self
- Witchfire (1986) as Lydia
- Déjà Vu (1985) as Olga Nabokova
- Alice in Wonderland (1985) as Dodo Bird
- Ellie (1984) as Cora Jackson
- Over the Brooklyn Bridge (1984) as Becky
- Hawaiian Heat (1984)
- Fanny Hill (1983) as Mrs. Cole
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Do It Debbie's Way (1983) as Self
- James Bond: The First 21 Years (1983) as Self
- Late Night with David Letterman (1982) as Self - Guest
- Wogan (1982) as Self
- Hotel (1982) as Adele Ellsworth
- S.O.B. (1981) as Eva Brown
- Looping (1981) as Carmen
- Fridays (1980) as Self - Guest Host
- Russell Harty (1980)
- The Magician of Lublin (1979) as Elzbieta
- The French Atlantic Affair (1979) as Helen Wabash
- The Visitor (1979) as Jane Phillips
- City on Fire (1979) as Nurse Andrea Harper
- Elvis (1979) as Gladys Presley
- Bringing A Legend To Life (1979) as Herself
- Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979) as Crystal (voice)
- Cher... and Other Fantasies (1979) as Shelley
- Vega$ (1978)
- King of the Gypsies (1978) as Queen Rachel
- The Initiation of Sarah (1978) as Mrs. Erica Hunter
- The Love Boat (1977) as Teresa Rosselli
- Black Journal (1977) as Lea
- Pete's Dragon (1977) as Lena Gogan
- The Hollywood Greats (1977)
- Tentacles (1977) as Tillie Turner
- An Average Little Man (1977) as Amalia Vivaldi
- The Tenant (1976) as Concierge
- Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976) as Faye Lapinsky
- Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976) as Crystal
- Mimì Bluette... Flower of My Garden (1976) as Caterina
- Midi Première (1975) as Self
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche (1975) as Self
- Poor Pretty Eddie (1975) as Bertha
- Journey into Fear (1975) as Mrs. Mathews
- That Lucky Touch (1975) as Diana Steedeman
- Diamonds (1975) as Zelda Shapiro
- Chico and the Man (1974)
- The Sex Symbol (1974) as Agatha Murphy
- Big Rose (1974) as Rose Winters
- Kojak (1973) as Evelyn McNeil
- The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (1973) as Self
- Blume in Love (1973) as Mrs. Cramer
- The Devil's Daughter (1973) as Lilith Malone
- The Stone Killer (1973) as Drunk Woman in Police Station (uncredited)
- Cleopatra Jones (1973) as Mommy
- The Poseidon Adventure (1972) as Belle Rosen
- Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972) as Mrs. Forrest
- Something to Hide (1972) as Gabriella Field
- The Adventures of Nick Carter (1972) as Bess Tucker
- A Death of Innocence (1971) as Elizabeth Cameron
- Revenge! (1971) as Amanda Hilton
- What's the Matter with Helen? (1971) as Helen Hill
- McCloud (1970)
- Bloody Mama (1970) as 'Ma' Kate Barker
- Flap (1970) as Dorothy Bluebell
- How Do I Love Thee? (1970) as Lena Mervin
- ITV Saturday Night Theatre (1969) as Barbara Bennet
- The Mad Room (1969) as Mrs. Armstrong
- Arthur? Arthur! (1969) as Hester Green
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
- Here's Lucy (1968) as Shelley Summers
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968) as Self (uncredited)
- The Scalphunters (1968) as Kate
- That's Life (1968)
- Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968) as Shirley Newman
- Wild in the Streets (1968) as Mrs. Max Flatow (Frost)
- Enter Laughing (1967) as Emma Kolowitz
- Easier in the Dark (1967) as Frances
- Batman (1966) as Ma Parker
- ABC Stage 67 (1966) as Self
- Harper (1966) as Fay Estabrook
- Alfie (1966) as Ruby
- The Legend of Marilyn Monroe (1966)
- The Three Sisters (1966) as Natalya
- Thirty-Minute Theatre (1965) as Mrs. Bixby
- The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) as Woman who is healed
- A Patch of Blue (1965) as Rose-Ann D'Arcey
- Time of Indifference (1964) as Lisa
- A House Is Not a Home (1964) as Polly Adler
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963) as Jenny Dworak
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963) as Edith
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963) as Clarry Golden
- Wives and Lovers (1963) as Fran Cabrell
- The Balcony (1963) as Madame Irma
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self - Guest
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self - Guest Hostess
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- Lolita (1962) as Charlotte Haze
- The Chapman Report (1962) as Sarah Garnell
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self - Co-Hostess
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Ben Casey (1961)
- Alcoa Premiere (1961)
- The Young Savages (1961) as Mary diPace
- Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960) as Nellie Romano
- The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) as Petronella Van Daan
- The David Susskind Show (1959) as Self
- Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) as Lorry
- Wagon Train (1957) as Ruth Owens
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957) as Self
- DuPont Show of the Month (1957) as Louisa Burt
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self (archive footage)
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Guest
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Frances
- The Perry Como Show (1956)
- The Night of the Hunter (1955) as Willa Harper
- The Alcoa Hour (1955)
- The Big Knife (1955) as Dixie Evans
- I Am a Camera (1955) as Natalia Landauer
- The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955) as Ruth Harris
- I Died a Thousand Times (1955) as Marie Garson
- Climax! (1954) as Leona Stevenson
- Climax! (1954) as Margaret Corey / Ethel / Lillian / Ann
- Climax! (1954) as Carol
- Producers' Showcase (1954) as Crystal Allen
- Mambo (1954) as Toni Salerno
- Saskatchewan (1954) as Grace Markey
- Tennessee Champ (1954) as Sarah Wurble
- Executive Suite (1954) as Eva Bardeman
- To Dorothy, a Son (1954) as Myrtle La Mar
- A Star Is Born World Premiere (1954) as Self
- Playgirl (1954) as Fran
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- The United States Steel Hour (1953)
- The Ford Television Theatre (1952) as Sally Marland
- Phone Call from a Stranger (1952) as Binky Gay
- My Man and I (1952) as Nancy
- Untamed Frontier (1952) as Jane Stevens
- Meet Danny Wilson (1952) as Joy Carroll
- The Raging Tide (1951) as Connie Thatcher
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951) as Mildred Corrigan
- He Ran All the Way (1951) as Peggy Dobbs
- A Place in the Sun (1951) as Alice Tripp
- Behave Yourself! (1951) as Katherine "Kate" Denny
- The Re-Inforcer (1951)
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- The Bob Hope Show (1950) as Self
- Winchester '73 (1950) as Lola Manners
- Frenchie (1950) as Frenchie Fontaine
- South Sea Sinner (1950) as Coral
- The Great Gatsby (1949) as Myrtle Wilson
- Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949) as Terry
- Take One False Step (1949) as Catherine Sykes
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Red River (1948) as Wagon Train Member (uncredited)
- Cry of the City (1948) as Brenda Martingale
- Larceny (1948) as Tory
- Kraft Television Theatre (1947) as Helen
- Living in a Big Way (1947) as Junior League Girl (uncredited)
- New Orleans (1947) as Mrs. Holmbright
- The Gangster (1947) as Hazel (uncredited)
- A Double Life (1947) as Pat Kroll
- Killer McCoy (1947) as Waitress / Autograph Hound (uncredited)
- Susie Steps Out (1946) as Band Singer
- A Thousand and One Nights (1945) as Handmaiden
- Tonight and Every Night (1945) as Bubbles (uncredited)
- Escape in the Fog (1945) as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee / Presenter
- She's a Soldier Too (1944) as 'Silver' Rankin (uncredited)
- Knickerbocker Holiday (1944) as Ulda Tienhoven
- Together Again (1944) as Young Woman Fleeing Nightclub Raid (uncredited)
- Sailor's Holiday (1944) as Gloria Flynn
- There's Something About a Soldier (1943) as Norma
- What a Woman (1943) as Secretary (uncredited)