Grace Kelly is an icon of beauty, style, and, well, grace. She had an amazing talent that every director in Hollywood recognized the moment they laid eyes on her.
Her coolness on camera combined with her natural beauty made for the perfect leading lady, one who is still incredibly revered today. As soon as her career got started, there seemed to be no stopping it. That is, of course, until she became the Princess of Monaco.
Kelly's Hollywood career didn't last all that long, but the 11 movies she made during that time are classics — think: Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, The Country Girl, and Dial M for Murder. And it's worth noting that three of those films were directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who used her talent to its fullest. Those were the only three movies that the duo would film together, but their work has long been admired.
But what was going on with Kelly behind the scenes, while this whirlwind of a career was flying by her?
These 12 facts about Kelly aren't well-known, but they are certainly surprising. Please SHARE with your family and friends who love Grace Kelly and her films!
1. She Thought Her Waist Was Too Small
Defying all beauty standards, Kelly believed that her waist was too small, and that her legs were too long. Despite the fact that women everywhere envied her figure, she wished for the opposite.
2. Her Father Didn’t Support Her Career Choice
Kelly knew what she wanted to do with her life, but she unfortunately didn’t have the support of her father. The triple Olympic gold medal rower believed that becoming an actress and a model was a rather unsavory profession.
3. She Wasn’t First Choice For “The Country Girl”
After Jennifer Jones had to bow out due to a pregnancy, Kelly went on to win an Academy Award for her performance in that film.
4. She Brought Her Own Snacks To Set
She usually had her own snacks of carrots or celery sticks to keep her happy on set between meals, as she valued her health very much.
5. She Was Known For Seducing Powerful Leading Men
Before her marriage, she was known to successfully pursue the leading men in her films, including Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Ray Milland, Bing Crosby, and Marlon Brando. Once she was married, however, she knew that her husband cheated on her, and the sadness that unearthed in her led her to return to her old ways. Those ways included an extended affair with Frank Sinatra and rekindled feelings for Brando.
6. She Preferred To Do Her Own Makeup And Hair
Instead of using a stylist, like all other movie stars, Kelly preferred to be the one to make sure she was camera ready. She was even one of the very early adopters of modern contouring. She used two different colors of blush to get a more dramatic cheek bone.
7. She Was In A Relationship When She Met Her Future Husband
When she met the Prince of Monaco, Prince Rainier III, at the Cannes Film Festival, she was dating the French actor, Jean-Pierre Aumont. After that, she started a private correspondence with the Prince, and soon enough, a wedding was set for a year later: April 19, 1956.
8. Thousands Of Fans Sent Her Off To Her Wedding
After Kelly, her family, her bridesmaids, and her poodle boarded the ocean liner SS Constitution, her fans gathered on the dock to send their farewells as the ship set off to Monaco.
9. She Was Not Allowed To Act After Her Marriage
Due to her new royal status and symbolism, Kelly was no longer allowed to move forward with her epic career as an actress. Hitchcock was one of the most upset to see her go, but he still offered her a role in his film Marnie in 1962, which she had to turn down.
She did, however, move on to work with many different charities, including founding the Princess Grace Foundation, which helped support local arts and artisans of Monaco.
10. Her Youngest Daughter Was Not At Her Funeral
On September 13, 1982, Kelly suffered a stroke and drove her car off of a cliff. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but did not make it. Her youngest daughter, Stéphanie, was in the car with her, and tried and failed to regain control of the car.
Stéphanie (pictured second from the left above) suffered less severe injuries, but was still unable to make it to the funeral because of them.
11. James Stewart Delivered Her Eulogy
After her burial in Monaco, a second ceremony was performed in Beverly Hills, CA, and James Stewart said her eulogy. It read as follows:
"You know, I just love Grace Kelly. Not because she was a princess, not because she was an actress; not because she was my friend, but because she was just about the nicest lady I ever met. Grace brought into my life, as she brought into yours, a soft, warm light every time I saw her, and every time I saw her was a holiday of its own. No question, I'll miss her, we'll all miss her. God bless you, Princess Grace."
12. Her Film Career Only Lasted Five Years
Her status as an icon is so huge that it's hard to believe that the years in which she was involved in the film industry were so few. But that is simply a testament to her amazing talent and beauty.
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