Anne Bancroft biography
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Anne Bancroft filmography

[h3]Oscar winning actress, writer and director, Anne Bancroft’s birth name was Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; born to Italian first generation American parents Michael and Mildred Italiano, in the Bronx area of New York City. [/h3]

She was the middle sister to Joanne and Phyllis. From the age of four, Bancroft was already attending dancing and acting lessons.

After graduating and having had various formal dramatic arts’ tuition, Bancroft’s career started in live television under the name Anne Marno. In 1952, having changed her name to Bancroft, she made her cinema debut in Don’t Bother to Knock that starred Marilyn Monroe.

Four years on and having married Martin May (whom within four years she would divorce) Bancroft went into theatre and won a Tony Award after appearing opposite Henry Fonda in the Broadway production of Two for the Seesaw.

In 1960 she picked up her second Tony for The Miracle Worker, where her character taught a blind and deaf girl to communicate. It was subsequently made into a film where Bancroft went on to win an Oscar for her lead role together with a BAFTA for ‘Best Foreign Actress’ – Bancroft won this latter award again for The Pumpkin Eater (1964).

During a variety show in 1961, Bancroft met Mel Brooks. Three years on they were married and stayed together for over 40 years (until her death) – they had a son Max in ’72, who is a screenwriter.

Mel Brooks called his wife “Obi-Wan Kenobi” after she encouraged him to turn his film The Producers (1968) into a musical – it went on to be a resounding success!

In 1967 came the role, that overshadowed her career, Mrs Robinson, in The Graduate. Playing [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/44:0/Dustin_Hoffman.htm]Dustin Hoffman’s[/urlnew] girlfriend’s mother, she was only six years older. The film won an Oscar and Bancroft gained an Oscar nomination for her seductive lead.
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One of a few entertainers to scoop the Triple Crown of acting: an Oscar, Emmy and Tony, after her acclaimed television special, Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man made up the trio in 1970.

Taking up writing in 1980 saw Bancroft make her debut as a screenwriter and a director on the comedy Fatso.

In 1987 she appeared on the chat show Wogan, terrified of the live broadcast, left Wogan later admitted, her nervous monosyllabic interview was the hardest he ever had.

[quote]“Her combination of brains, humour, frankness and sense were unlike any other artist.”[/quote]

Making a swift recovery, the following year, she won a BAFTA Award for ‘Best Actress’ for her role opposite [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/45:0/Anthony_Hopkins.htm]Anthony Hopkins[/urlnew] in 84 Charring Cross Road.

The American Comedy Awards honoured her with a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 1996. Since 1992 Bancroft gained six Emmy nominations and won an Emmy for ‘Outstanding Support Actress’ in the TV film Deep in My Heart (1999).

In June 2005 a couple of months after her grandson was born, she died of cancer. [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/175:0/Paul_Simon.htm]Paul Simon[/urlnew] sang Mrs Robinson at her funeral, whilst Broadway, honoured her by dimming their lights.

The Graduate’s director Mike Nichols, who won the film’s only Oscar, claimed: “Her combination of brains, humour, frankness and sense were unlike any other artist.”

[i]Sam Carpenter[/i]
Anne Bancroft biography



- Although Bancroft played Dustin Hoffman’s much older lover in The Graduate, she is only six years older than him.

- She has appeared onscreen three times with her husband Mel Brooks: in Silent Movie (1976), To Be or Not to Be (1983) and an episode of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.

- Bancroft was the original choice to play Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest (1981) but she backed out at the eleventh hour. The part went to Faye Dunaway.

- After meeting Mel Brooks she told her therapist to conclude the therapy as fast as possible because she had met the man she was going to marry.

- Bancroft died of uterine cancer aged 73 at Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC. As she was a very private person, her friends were unaware of her failing health.

- 20th Century Fox thought her birth name of Italiano was “too ethnic” so she chose Bancroft because it sounded dignified.

- Bancroft is also one of only eight actors to have won a Tony and an Oscar for the same role on screen and on stage in The Miracle Worker.

- Although she was raised a Catholic she converted to Judaism after meeting Mel Brooks.
Anne Bancroft biography



Don't Bother to Knock (1952)

Tonight We Sing (1953)

Treasure of the Golden Condor (1953)

The Kid from Left Field (1953)

Gorilla at Large (1954)

Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)

The Raid (1954)

New York Confidential (1955)

The Naked Street (1955)

The Last Frontier (1955)

Walk the Proud Land (1956)

Nightfall (1957)

The Restless Breed (1957)

The Girl in Black Stockings (1957)

The Miracle Worker (1962)

The Pumpkin Eater (1964)

The Slender Thread (1965)

7 Women (1966)

The Graduate (1967)

Young Winston (1972)

Blazing Saddles (1974) (Cameo)

The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)

The Hindenburg (1975)

Lipstick (1976)

Silent Movie (1976)

The Turning Point (1977)

Fatso (1980) (also director and writer)

The Elephant Man (1980)

To Be or Not to Be (1983)

Garbo Talks (1984)

Agnes of God (1985)

'night, Mother (1986)

84 Charing Cross Road (1987)

Torch Song Trilogy (1988)

Bert Rigby, You're a Fool (1989)

Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)

Love Potion No. 9 (1992)

Point of No Return (1993)

Malice (1993)

Mr. Jones (1993)

How to Make an American Quilt (1995)

Home for the Holidays (1995)

Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) (Cameo)

The Sunchaser (1996)

G.I. Jane (1997)

Critical Care (1997)

Great Expectations (1998)

Mark Twain's America in 3D (1998) (narrator)

Antz (1998) (voice)

Keeping the Faith (2000)

Up at the Villa (2000)

Heartbreakers (2001)

In Search of Peace (2001) (narrator)

Delgo (2007) (voice) (in post-production)

[b]Theatre roles:[/b]

Two for the Seesaw (1958)

The Miracle Worker (1959)

Mother Courage and Her Children (1963)

The Devils (1965)

The Little Foxes (1967)

A Cry of Players (1968)

Golda (1977)

Duet for One (1981)

Occupant (2002)

[b]Television roles:[/b]

I'm Getting Married (1967)

Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man (1970)

Annie and the Hoods (1974)

Jesus of Nazareth (1977) (miniseries)

Marco Polo (1982) (miniseries)

Freddie and Max (1990) (canceled after 2 months)

Broadway Bound (1992)

Mrs. Cage (1992)

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994)

The Mother (1994)

The Simpsons episode "Fear of Flying" (voice) (1994)

Homecoming (1996)

Deep in My Heart (1999)

Haven (2001)

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003)

Curb Your Enthusiasm (2004)
Anne Bancroft biography




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