
Anne Bancroft
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.
Acting (72 movies)

The Miracle Worker
1962

Malice
1993

The Elephant Man
1980

Point of No Return
1993

Heartbreakers
2001

G.I. Jane
1997

Silent Movie
1976

The Last Frontier
1955

Keeping the Faith
2000

Delgo
2008

The Mother
1994

To Be or Not to Be
1983

Don't Bother to Knock
1952

James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate
1984

Agnes of God
1985

How to Make an American Quilt
1995

Torch Song Trilogy
1988

Antz
1998

Great Expectations
1998

Love Potion No. 9
1992

Home for the Holidays
1995

Honeymoon in Vegas
1992

Nightfall
1956

'night, Mother
1986

New York Confidential
1955

Demetrius and the Gladiators
1954

The Graduate
1967

The Turning Point
1977

Critical Care
1997

The Girl in Black Stockings
1957

84 Charing Cross Road
1987

The Sunchaser
1996

Fatso
1980

Young Winston
1972

The Hindenburg
1975

Up at the Villa
2000

7 Women
1965

The Slender Thread
1965

The Prisoner of Second Avenue
1975

The Pumpkin Eater
1964

Gorilla at Large
1954

The Raid
1954

Lipstick
1976

Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels
1996

A Life in the Balance
1955

Deep in My Heart
1999

The Naked Street
1955

Garbo Talks
1984

The Kid from Left Field
1953

Homecoming
1996

Bert Rigby, You're a Fool
1989

The Restless Breed
1957

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
2003

Broadway Bound
1992

Walk the Proud Land
1956

Treasure of the Golden Condor
1953

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
1994

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
2013

Mr. Jones
1993

Dracula: Dead and Loving It
1995

Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
2018

An Audience with Mel Brooks
1984

Tonight We Sing
1953

Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man
1970

Mickey's 50
1978

The Man Who Had Influence
1950

Haven
2001

In Search of Peace
2001

The Muppets Go Hollywood
1979

Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1980s, 1990s and 2000s
2009

So Soon to Die
1957

Invitation to a Gunfighter
1957
Directing (1 movie)
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Fatso | 1980 | Writer |