Anjelica Huston was born in Santa Monica, California in 1951 to actor/director
John Huston and prima ballerina
Enrica Soma. her father was in Africa shooting
the African Queen with Katherine Hepburn when Anjelica was born. she was named for her Sicilian maternal grandmother, Angelica Soma, who died when Anjelica's mother Enrica was still a child. most of Anjelica's childhood was spent living in Galway, Ireland.
Huston's parents separated when she was 10 years old, though they never divorced. in 1969, when Anjelica was 18, she began taking small acting roles in her father's films. that same year Anjelica's mother was killed in a car accident at the age of 39. following her mother's death, Anjelica moved to New York and became a model for several years, working with the likes of
Richard Avedon and
Bob Richardson. she and Richardson, 23 years her senior, were romantically involved.
in the late 1970's Anjelica began studying acting in hope of moving away from modeling and into the world of cinema. Huston's first notable role was in
the Postman Always Rings Twice(1981) starring Jack Nicholson, with whom Anjelica had been living since 1973. four years later, she was cast by her father with Nicholson again in
Prizzi's Honor(1985), for which Anjelica won a best supporting actress Oscar, making her a third generation oscar winner- the first in academy award history.
Anjelica has had a prolific acting career, highlights including
The Grifters (1990), for which she was nominated for another academy award, her iconic portrayal of Morticia Addams in
The Addams Family (1991) and
Addams Family Values (1993), and her work with director Wes Anderson in
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and
The Life Aquatic (2004). she was also awesome in
Lonesome Dove (1989), and has directed two feature films and a television movie.
in 1992, Huston married sculptor Robert Graham Jr.. Anjelica and Robert lived together in Venice, California until his death in 2007.
i am inducting Anjelica Huston to the Loose Leaf Tigers Hall of Dames for her extraordinary talent, character and intelligence, matched only by unmatchable beauty. dame Anjelica will grace the small screen in the TV series Smash, which debuts tonight.
