Ava Gardner Biography

Ava Lavinia Gardner was a famous actress who was among the leading heroines in Hollywood during the 1950s and 1960s. Considered one of the most beautiful women of her time, she rose to prominence with her portrayal of the glamorous beauty Kitty Collins in The Killers. Born into a large family, she lost her father at a young age. Growing up during the Great Depression, her poor family could barely manage to survive. Ava became an actress purely by chance—her brother-in-law, a photographer, had taken a beautiful picture of her, which was sent to MGM Studios. The dark-haired beauty with the bewitching smile was called for an audition and soon found herself signing a contract with the famous studio. During her initial years, she landed only small roles. However, her fortunes changed when she was chosen to play the femme fatale Kitty Collins in The Killers, which established her as a leading lady. Propelled by the success of the movie, she went on to play substantial roles in high-profile films from the 1950s onward. The film The Barefoot Contessa, in which she starred with Humphrey Bogart, is considered her signature film, as she had a habit of going barefoot in real life as well.