Ava Gardner

Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress who first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941. Born in Grabtown, North Carolina, she appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention with her performance in Robert Siodmak's film noir The Killers in 1946. Gardner's career reached peak popularity in the 1950s, with leading roles in films like Show Boat, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, and Mogambo, the latter of which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She continued working in the film industry for three more decades, appearing in numerous films and even landing a recurring role on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing in 1985. Gardner was active in the industry until 1986, four years before her death at the age of 67. The American Film Institute ranked Gardner No. 25 on its greatest female screen legends list in 1999.

Gardner's early life was characterized by poverty, as she was the youngest of seven children born to poor tobacco sharecroppers in North Carolina. Despite these humble beginnings and struggles, she rose to fame and eventually established a life for herself in Hollywood. She later moved to Spain in 1955 before finally settling in London in 1968. Gardner was thrice married, to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra, but had no children. Ava Gardner's life off-set was as captivating as her on-screen performances, marked by her tumultuous relationships, her love for Spain and the bullfighting culture, and her enduring rankings as one of Hollywood's greatest legends.