Anne Bancroft
Born: 1931-09-17 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
Died: 2005-06-06
Known For: Acting
Biography
Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Cannes Film Festival Award. She is one of only 24 thespians to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. Bancroft was born Anna Maria Louisa (or Luisa) Italiano on September 17, 1931, in the Bronx, New York City, the middle of three daughters of Mildred (née Di Napoli), a telephone operator, and Michael G. Italiano, a dress pattern maker. Both of her parents' surnames were toponymic. Her parents were Italian immigrants from Southern Italy. In an interview, she stated that her family was originally from Muro Lucano, in the province of Potenza. She was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. Bancroft was raised in Little Italy, in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx, attended P.S. 12, later moving to 1580 Zerega Ave. Bancroft's Broadway debut in the two-character drama Two for the Seesaw (1958), brought her wide recognition for the depth of her talent and garnered her a Tony Award for best supporting actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker (1962), and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate (1967). Bancroft continued to have a successful career in film and television. She starred in a number of other films, including The Elephant Man (1980), 84 Charing Cross Road (1987), and Agnes of God (1985), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also had a recurring role on the television series Modern Family. Bancroft was married to director Mel Brooks from 1964 until her death in 2005. They had one son, Max Brooks.
Filmography
2018
- Mel Brooks: Unwrapped as Self (archive footage)
2013
- Mel Brooks: Make a Noise as Self
2009
- Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1980s, 1990s and 2000s as Self (archive)
2008
- Delgo as Sedessa (voice)
2006
- Legends as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2003
- The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone as Contessa
2001
- Haven as Mama Gruber
- Heartbreakers as Gloria Vogal
- In Search of Peace as Golda Meir (voice)
2000
- Curb Your Enthusiasm as Anne Bancroft
- Keeping the Faith as Ruth Schram
- Up at the Villa as Princess San Ferdinando
1999
- Deep in My Heart as Gerry Cummins
1998
- Antz as Queen (voice)
- Great Expectations as Ms. Dinsmoor
1997
- Critical Care as Nun
- G.I. Jane as Senator Lillian DeHaven
1996
- Homecoming as Abigail Tillerman
- The Sunchaser as Dr. Renata Baumbauer
- Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels as Self (archive footage)
1995
- Dracula: Dead and Loving It as Madame Ouspenskaya
- Home for the Holidays as Adele Larson
- How to Make an American Quilt as Glady Joe Cleary
1994
- The Mother as Mrs. Fanning
- Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All as Lucy Marsden (age 99-100)
- Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All as Old Lucy Marsden
1993
- Malice as Mrs. Kennsinger
- Mr. Jones as Dr. Catherine Holland
- Point of No Return as Amanda
1992
- Mrs. Cage as Mrs. Cage
- Broadway Bound as Kate Jerome
- Love Potion No. 9 as Madame Ruth
- Honeymoon in Vegas as Bea Singer
1991
- Performance as Mrs. Fanning
1990
- Freddie and Max as Max Chandler
1989
- The Simpsons as Dr. Zweig (voice)
- Bert Rigby, You're a Fool as Meredith Perlestein
1988
- Torch Song Trilogy as Ma Beckoff
1987
- 84 Charing Cross Road as Helene Hanff
1986
- 'night, Mother as Thelma Cates
1985
- Agnes of God as Mother Miriam Ruth
1984
- Garbo Talks as Estelle Rolfe
- An Audience with Mel Brooks as Self
- James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate as Jo Armitage (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
- To Be or Not to Be as Anna Bronski
1982
- Marco Polo as Madre di Marco
- Women I Love: Beautiful But Funny as Self
1980
- Fatso as Antoinette
- The Elephant Man as Mrs Kendal
1979
- The Muppets Go Hollywood as Self
1978
- An Audience with... as Self
- Mickey's 50 as Self
1977
- Jesus of Nazareth as Mary Magdalene
- The Turning Point as Emma
1976
- Silent Movie as Self
- Lipstick as Carla Bondi
1975
- The Prisoner of Second Avenue as Edna Edison
- The Hindenburg as Ursula
1974
1972
- Young Winston as Lady Jennie Churchill
1971
- Great Performances as Mrs. Fanning
1970
- Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man as Various
1967
- The Graduate as Mrs. Robinson
1966
- ABC Stage 67 as Virginia
1965
- 7 Women as Dr. D.R. Cartwright
- The Slender Thread as Inga Dyson
1964
- The Pumpkin Eater as Jo Armitage
1962
- The Miracle Worker as Annie Sullivan
1957
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar as Self
- The Restless Breed as Angelita
- So Soon to Die as Isobel Waring
- Invitation to a Gunfighter as Julie Bickford
- The Girl in Black Stockings as Beth Dixon
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Isabelle Rutledge
- Nightfall as Marie Gardner
- Walk the Proud Land as Tianay
1955
- The Last Frontier as Corinna Marston
- New York Confidential as Kathy Lupo
- A Life in the Balance as María Ibinia
- The Naked Street as Rosalie Regalzyk
1954
- Climax! as Audrey
- The Raid as Katy Bishop
- Demetrius and the Gladiators as Paula
- Gorilla at Large as Laverne Miller
1953
- The Oscars as Self
- Treasure of the Golden Condor as Marie, Comtesse de St. Malo
- Tonight We Sing as Emma Hurok
- The Kid from Left Field as Marian Foley
1952
- Don't Bother to Knock as Lyn Lesley
1950
- What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
- Lux Video Theatre as Leah
- The Man Who Had Influence as Maria Cassini
1949
1948
- Studio One as Maria Cassini