Ava Gardner

With a slim 5'6" frame, auburn hair, and green eyes, Ava Gardner remains one of Hollywood's classic leading ladies. Born in Grabtown, North Carolina, she began her career at MGM in 1941, appearing in small roles before catching attention in 1946's The Killers. Her breakthrough led to an Academy Award nomination for Mogambo (1953) and further nominations for The Night of the Iguana (1964). She was American and part of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Ava's career spanned 45 years, from 1941 to 1986. In the 1950s, she became a top star with films like Show Boat, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, The Barefoot Contessa, Bhowani Junction, and On the Beach. She continued acting steadily through the 1960s and 1970s, appearing in 55 Days at Peking, Seven Days in May, and The Cassandra Crossing. In 1985, she took a recurring role on the soap opera Knots Landing, and she acted regularly until 1986, four years before her death in 1990 at age 67.

In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her No. 25 on its list of greatest female screen legends. Her natural 36B bust and measurements of 36-23-37 were part of her on-screen appeal, though she never performed full nudity, only implied. She passed away on January 25, 1990, in what would become a celebrated legacy of classic cinema.