Patricia Neal: the difficult fate of the actress

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Patricia Neal is a Hollywood actress whose difficult fate inspired American screenwriters to create a film about her, which was released during her lifetime. The main role in it was played by the famous British film star Glenda Jackson.

Short biography

The future star of American cinema Patricia Neal (real name - Patsy Louise) was born on January 20, 1926 in the family of William and Eura Neil, who lived at that time in Tennessee (USA). After graduating from school, the girl continued her education at one of the nearby universities, where she studied theater arts.

Soon she decides to move to New York. There she made her Broadway debut in The Voice of the Turtle. Later, she participated in two more musicals - The Miracle Worker and Another Part of the Forest. In 1946, for one of her works, the actress received the first ever theater award "Tony", and in 1949 she began acting in films.

Love novel

During the filming of The Fountainhead, actress Patricia Neal meets Harry Cooper, a famous Hollywood actor with a reputation for being a heartthrob. It is not surprising that the girl almost immediately fell in love with this handsome and extremely talented man. Despite the fact that the actor was 25 years older than her, they began a love affair.

At that time, Patricia had a brilliant career. For the role she played in the play based on Hellman's play, she received four prestigious awards at once, but she became famous thanks to this scandalous novel. At first, the lovers managed to hide their relationship, but one day everyone found out about their connection. This event was extremely negatively perceived by secular society.

To avoid ridicule and bullying from friends and work colleagues, Patricia Neal had to have an abortion, besides, Harry Cooper himself asked her about it. Subsequently, she repeatedly regretted this act. A love affair with a famous actor received a great response in the press. Newspapers all over the country rattled about him. Millions of people began to consider Cooper a traitor, and her a villain who dared to destroy an exemplary family.

Manuals of film studios also took up arms against them. The actor has been discontinued. His wife publicly insulted Patricia, and her daughter Maria spat in the face of the actress right on the set, which was immediately reported in the newspapers. Cooper, unable to withstand such pressure, was forced to return to his family.

Hollywood directors soon forgave him and the actor continued to act in films. As for Patricia, she had to leave Hollywood. She returned to Broadway and continued to play ontheater stage. Thus ended the love story of Patricia Neal and Hollywood heartthrob Harry Cooper.

Marriage

In 1951, at one of the receptions, the actress met Roald Dahl, the great British writer, the author of such world-famous works as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Gremlins. Nine of his works are among the 200 best books ever written in history. It was he who proposed to the disgraced actress to marry him. The wedding took place in 1953. Five children were born in their family.

After some time, the actress decided to return to the cinema. Films by Patricia Neal such as Face in the Crowd, Ben Casey, The Day the Earth Stood Still and Breakfast at Tiffany's were very successful. Her career slowly took off.

Tragedies in the life of an actress

In 1960, the family of Patricia and Roald Dahl suffered a terrible misfortune. A nanny with their little son Theo, who was lying in a stroller, was crossing the street and was hit by a car. At the same time, the child suffered very badly - he was found to have a severe traumatic brain injury, as a result of which he became mentally retarded.

Despite the monstrous shock, the actress did not quit her career. She still acted in films and worked in the theater. In 1963, she landed the lead role in the film Hud, opposite Paul Newman. This picture won her an Oscar. Finally, Hollywood recognized her extraordinary talent! However, the taste of victory was overshadowed by another tragedy - dies of measlesher daughter Olivia, who was barely seven years old. After this event, Patricia Neal abandoned her career and fenced herself off from others, leading a secluded lifestyle. Then she finds solace with the Mormons - religious sectarians, who further alienated her from the real world.

Severe illness

In 1966, another misfortune happened to the actress - when the woman was at the initial stage of pregnancy, she suffered a stroke. This was followed by many hours of surgery, followed by a three-week coma. Her condition was so critical that the press rushed to announce her death.

Patricia still survived, regained consciousness, but it turned out that she had completely forgotten how to walk and talk. Roald Dahl literally did not leave his wife's bed and did everything to get her on her feet as soon as possible. And he succeeded. A few months later, she began to speak, and a little later she took her first steps.

Return

Despite the disappointing forecasts of doctors, the actress gave birth to a he althy baby girl. Three years later, this strong woman returned to the film industry and was even nominated for an Oscar for her work in the film "If it weren't for roses." In addition, she has received two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

Patricia's thirty-year marriage to Dahl broke up in 1984. Despite this, she still acted a lot. At the end of her film career, Neil took up charity work. The actress died of lung cancer at the age of 84.