{{For|the American explorer|Ann Bancroft}}

{{Infobox actor

| name = Anne Bancroft

| image = Anne Bancroft.jpg

| caption = Anne Bancroft, 1997

| birthname = Anna Maria Louisa Italiano

| birthdate = {{birth date|1931|9|17|mf=y}}

| birthplace = {{city-state|The Bronx|New York}}, U.S.

| deathdate = {{death date and age|2005|6|6|1931|9|17}}

| deathplace = {{city-state|New York City|New York}}, U.S.

| occupation = Actress

| yearsactive = 1951–2004

| spouse = {{marriage|Martin May|1953|1957}} <br/>{{marriage|[[Mel Brooks]]|1964|2005}} (her death)

}}

'''Anne Bancroft''' (September 17, 1931 &ndash; June 6, 2005) was an American actress associated with the [[Method acting|method]] school of acting.

==Early life==

Bancroft was born '''Anna Maria Louisa Italiano''' in [[the Bronx]], [[New York]], the daughter of Mildred ([[married and maiden names|née]] DiNapoli), a telephone operator, and Michael Italiano, a dress pattern maker.<ref>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/4/Anne-Bancroft.html Anne Bancroft Biography (1931-)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Her parents were both children of [[Italian people|Italian]] immigrants.

Bancroft graduated from [[Christopher Columbus High School (Bronx, New York)|Christopher Columbus High School]] in the Bronx in 1948, and attended [[HB Studio]], the [[American Academy of Dramatic Arts]], the [[Actors Studio]], and the [[American Film Institute|American Film Institute's]] Directing Workshop for Women at [[UCLA]]. After appearing in a number of live television dramas under the name Anne Marno, she was told to change her surname for her film debut in ''[[Don't Bother to Knock]]'' in 1952.

==Career==

Bancroft was a contract player in the early days of her career just as the [[studio system|studio contract system]] was ending. She left Hollywood because of the poor quality of roles she was being offered and returned to New York.

In 1958, Bancroft made her Broadway debut as lovelorn, Bronx-talkin' Gittel Mosca opposite [[Henry Fonda]] (as the married man Gittel loves) in [[William Gibson (playwright)|William Gibson]]'s two-character play ''[[Two for the Seesaw]]'', directed by [[Arthur Penn]]. For Gittel, she won the [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play]]. (Though her role was quite equal to Fonda's, he, an established film actor, was the star, and so she was eligible in the featured category). She subsequently won the [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play]] in 1960, again with playwright Gibson and director Penn, when she played [[Annie Sullivan]], the sight-impaired, heroically indefatigable Irish girl who teaches the child [[Helen Keller]] to communicate in ''[[The Miracle Worker (1962 film)|The Miracle Worker]]''. She took the latter role back to [[Hollywood]], and won the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] in 1962, with [[Patty Duke]] repeating her success as Helen alongside her. Bancroft had returned to Broadway to star in ''[[Mother Courage and her Children]]''. [[Joan Crawford]] accepted Bancroft's [[Academy Award|Oscar]] on her behalf, and later presented the award to her in [[New York]]. She is one of the very distinct few to have won an [[Academy Award]] and [[Tony Award]] for the same role. Bancroft also co-starred as a medieval nun obsessed with a priest opposite [[Jason Robards]] in the 1965 Broadway production of [[John Whiting]]'s controversial play [[The Devils (play)|The Devils]]. Produced by [[Alexander H. Cohen]] and directed by [[Michael Cacoyannis]], it ran for a total of 31 performances.<ref>http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3265</ref>

A highly-acclaimed television special, ''Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man'', won Bancroft an [[Emmy Award]] for her singing and acting. Bancroft is one of a very select few entertainers to win an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony award.

Other major film roles were in ''[[The Pumpkin Eater]]'', ''[[7 Women]]'', and what is unquestionably Bancroft's best-known role as Mrs. Robinson in ''[[The Graduate]]''. In the last, she played an unhappily married woman who seduces the much-younger recent college graduate played by [[Dustin Hoffman]]. Although Bancroft is now identified as Mrs. Robinson, she was not the first choice for the role; [[Patricia Neal]], [[Doris Day]] and [[Jeanne Moreau]] all turned it down. Bancroft was ambivalent about her appearance in ''The Graduate''; she stated in several interviews that the role overshadowed all of her other work. Although her status as the "older woman" in the film is iconic, Bancroft was actually only 36 years old to Dustin Hoffman's 30 when the film was released.

In 1980, Bancroft made her debut as a screenwriter and director in ''[[Fatso (film)|Fatso]]'', in which she starred along with [[Dom DeLuise]]. Bancroft was also the original choice to play [[Joan Crawford]] in the 1981 movie ''[[Mommie Dearest (film)|Mommie Dearest]]'', but backed out at the 11th hour, and was replaced by [[Faye Dunaway]]. She was also a front-runner for the role of Aurora Greenway in ''[[Terms of Endearment]]'', but declined in order to act in the remake of ''[[To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]'' (1983).

Bancroft received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6368 [[Hollywood Boulevard]] for her film work.

==Marriage and family==

Bancroft was married to Martin May from July 1, 1953, to February 13, 1957. There were no children.

In 1961, Bancroft met [[Mel Brooks]] at a rehearsal for the [[Perry Como]] [[variety show]]. Brooks bribed a studio employee to find out where she was having dinner so he could meet her again. Once Bancroft met Brooks, she went to her therapist and told him they had to conclude the therapy as fast as possible because she had met the man she was going to marry.

Bancroft and Brooks married on August 5, 1964, at the [[Manhattan Marriage Bureau]] near [[New York City Hall]] and were together until her death. They had one son, [[Max Brooks|Maximillian]], in 1972. They were seen three times on the screen together: once dancing a tango in Brooks's 1976 ''[[Silent Movie]]''; in Brooks's 1983 remake of ''[[To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]''; and in the episode entitled "Opening Night" of the HBO show ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''. They were also in ''[[Dracula: Dead and Loving It]]'', but never appeared together. Brooks produced the 1980 film ''[[The Elephant Man (film)|The Elephant Man]]'', in which Bancroft acted. He also was executive-producer for the 1987 film ''[[84 Charing Cross Road]]'' in which she starred. Both Brooks and Bancroft appeared in season six of ''[[The Simpsons]]''. According to the DVD commentary, when Bancroft came to record her lines for the episode "[[Fear of Flying (The Simpsons episode)|Fear of Flying]]", the Simpsons writers asked if Brooks had come with her (which he had), she joked, "I can't get rid of him!" In 2010, Brooks credited Bancroft as being the guiding force behind his involvement in developing ''[[The Producers (musical)|The Producers]]'' and ''[[Young Frankenstein (musical)|Young Frankenstein]]'' for the musical theater, citing an early meeting as "From that day, until her death on June 5, 2005, we were glued together."<ref>{{cite news |title=Brooks recalls Anne Bancroft as wife, collaborator |first=John |last=Carucci |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=2010-03-03 |accessdate=2010-03-04}}</ref>

==Death==

[[Image:Anne Bancroft Brooks Grave 300.jpg|thumb|200px|Anne Bancroft's grave in [[Kensico Cemetery]]]]Bancroft died of [[uterine cancer]] on June 6, 2005 at [[Mount Sinai Hospital, New York|Mount Sinai Hospital]] in [[New York City]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4071734.stm "Graduate star Anne Bancroft dies."]. BBC News. 8 June 2005.</ref> Her death surprised even some of her friends; she was intensely private and had not released details of her illness.

Bancroft was survived by Brooks; their son, [[Max Brooks|Maximillian]]; a grandson; her mother Mildred; and two sisters, Joanne and Phyllis. She is interred at [[Kensico Cemetery]] in [[Valhalla, New York]], near her father, Michael Italiano. A white marble monument with a weeping angel adorns her grave.

{{clr}}

==Work==

===Theater===

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9;

|- align="center"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Production

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

|-

|1958

|''[[Two for the Seesaw]]''

|[[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play]]

|-

|1959

|''[[The Miracle Worker (play)|The Miracle Worker]]''

|[[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play]]

|-

|1963

|''[[Mother Courage and Her Children]]''

|

|-

|1965

|''[[The Devils]]''

|

|-

|1967

|''[[The Little Foxes]]''

|

|-

|1968

|''[[A Cry of Players]]''

|

|-

|1977

|''[[Golda]]''

|Nominated — [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play]]

|-

|1981

|''[[Duet for One]]''

|

|-

|2002

|''[[Occupant (play)|Occupant]]''

|

|}

===Film===

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9;

|- align="center"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

|-

|1952

|''[[Don't Bother to Knock]]''

|Lyn Lesley

|

|-

|rowspan=3|1953

|''Tonight We Sing''

|Emma Hurok

|

|-

|''Treasure of the Golden Condor''

|Marie, Comtesse de St. Malo

|

|-

|''The Kid from Left Field''

|Marian Foley

|

|-

|rowspan=3|1954

|''[[Gorilla at Large]]''

|Laverne Miller

|

|-

|''[[Demetrius and the Gladiators]]''

|Paula

|

|-

|''[[The Raid]]''

|Katie Bishop

|

|-

|rowspan=4|1955

|''[[New York Confidential]]''

|Kathy Lupo

|

|-

|''A Life in the Balance''

|María Ibinia

|

|-

|''The Naked Street''

|Rosalie Regalzyk

|

|-

|''The Last Frontier''

|Corinna Marston

|

|-

|1956

|''[[Walk the Proud Land]]''

|Tianay

|

|-

|rowspan=3|1957

|''[[Nightfall (1957 film)|Nightfall]]''

|Marie Gardner

|

|-

|''The Restless Breed''

|Angelita

|

|-

|''The Girl in Black Stockings''

|Beth Dixon

|

|-

|1962

|''[[The Miracle Worker (1962 film)|The Miracle Worker]]''

|[[Annie Sullivan]]

|[[Academy Award for Best Actress]]<br>[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress]]<br>[[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress]]<br>[[San Sebastián International Film Festival|San Sebastián International Film Festival Prize San Sebastián]]<br>Nominated — [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama]]

|-

|1964

|''[[The Pumpkin Eater]]''

|Jo Armitage Oscar

|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress]]<br>[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama]]<br>[[Best Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award]]<br>Nominated — [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]

|-

|1965

|''The Slender Thread''

|Inga Dyson

|

|-

|1966

|''[[7 Women]]''

|Dr. D.R. Cartwright

|

|-

|1967

|''[[The Graduate]]''

|Mrs. Robinson

|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]<br>Nominated - [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]<br>Nominated — [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]]

|-

|1972

|''[[Young Winston]]''

|Lady Jennie Churchill

|Nominated — [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]]

|-

|1974

|''[[Blazing Saddles]]''

|Extra in Church Congregation

|uncredited

|-

|rowspan=2|1975

|''[[The Prisoner of Second Avenue]]''

|Edna Edison

|Nominated — [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]]

|-

|''[[The Hindenburg (film)|The Hindenburg]]''

|Ursula, The Countess

|

|-

|rowspan=2|1976

|''[[Lipstick (film)|Lipstick]]''

|Carla Bondi

|

|-

|''[[Silent Movie]]''

|Herself

|

|-

|rowspan=2|1977

|''[[Jesus of Nazareth (miniseries)|Jesus Of Nazareth]]''

|[[Mary Magdalene]]

|

|-

|''[[The Turning Point (1977 film)|The Turning Point]]''

|Emma Jacklin

|Nominated — [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]<br>[[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress]]<br>Nominated — [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]]<br>Nominated — [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama]]

|-

|rowspan=2|1980

|''[[Fatso (film)|Fatso]]''

|Antoinette

|also director and writer

|-

|''[[The Elephant Man (film)|The Elephant Man]]''

|Mrs. Kendal

|

|-

|1983

|''[[To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]''

|Anna Bronski

|Nominated — [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]

|-

|1984

|''[[Garbo Talks]]''

|Estelle Rolfe

|Nominated — [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]

|-

|1985

|''[[Agnes of God]]''

|Mother Miriam Ruth

|Nominated — [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama]]<br>Nominated — [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]

|-

|1986

|''[['night, Mother (film)|'night, Mother]]''

|Thelma Cates

|Nominated — [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama]]

|-

|1987

|''[[84 Charing Cross Road (film)|84 Charing Cross Road]]''

|[[Helene Hanff]]

|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]]

|-

|1988

|''[[Torch Song Trilogy (film)|Torch Song Trilogy]]''

|Ma Beckoff

|

|-

|1989

|''[[Bert Rigby, You're a Fool]]''

|Meredith Perlestein

|

|-

|rowspan=2|1992

|''[[Honeymoon in Vegas]]''

|Bea Singer

|

|-

|''[[Love Potion No. 9 (film)|Love Potion No. 9]]''

|Madame Ruth

|

|-

|rowspan=3|1993

|''[[Point of No Return (film)|Point of No Return]]''

|Amanda

|

|-

|''[[Malice (film)|Malice]]''

|Mrs. Kennsinger

|

|-

|''[[Mr. Jones (film)|Mr. Jones]]''

|Dr. Catherine Holland

|

|-

|rowspan=3|1995

|''[[How to Make an American Quilt]]''

|Glady Joe Cleary

|Nominated — [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture]]

|-

|''[[Home for the Holidays (film)|Home for the Holidays]]''

|Adele Larson

|

|-

|''[[Dracula: Dead and Loving It]]''

|Madame Ouspenskaya (Gypsy Woman)

|

|-

|1996

|''[[The Sunchaser]]''

|Dr. Renata Baumbauer

|

|-

|rowspan=2|1997

|''[[G.I. Jane]]''

|Sen. Lillian DeHaven

|

|-

|''Critical Care''

|Nun

|

|-

|rowspan=3|1998

|''[[Great Expectations (1998 film)|Great Expectations]]''

|Ms. Dinsmoor

|

|-

|''Mark Twain's America in 3D''

|Narrator

|

|-

|''[[Antz]]''

|Queen

|voice

|-<!--do not re-add Thirteenth Warrior without citation, cannot be verified through available sources-->

|rowspan=2|2000

|''[[Keeping the Faith]]''

|Ruth Schram

|

|-

|''[[Up at the Villa]]''

|Princess San Ferdinando

|

|-

|rowspan=2|2001

|''[[Heartbreakers (2001 film)|Heartbreakers]]''

|Gloria Vogal/Barbara

|

|-

|''In Search of Peace''

|Golda Meir

|voice

|-

|2008

|''[[Delgo (film)|Delgo]]''

|Sedessa

|Voice

|}

===Television===

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9;

|- align="center"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

|-

|1967

|''[[ABC Stage 67]]'' - ''I'm Getting Married''

|Virginia

|

|-

|1970

|''Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man''

|

|[[Emmy Award|Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety or Musical Program - Variety and Popular Music]]

|-

|1974

|''Annie and the Hoods''

|

|

|-

|1977

|''[[Jesus of Nazareth (film)|Jesus of Nazareth]]''

|[[Mary Magdalene]]

|Miniseries

|-

|1982

|''[[Marco Polo (mini-series)|Marco Polo]]''

|Marco's mother

|Miniseries

|-

|1990

|''Freddie and Max''

|Maxine (Max) Chandler

|Six episodes

|-

|rowspan=2|1992

|''[[Broadway Bound]]''

|Kate Jerome

|Nominated — [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie|Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie]]

|-

|''Mrs. Cage''

|Lillian Cage

|Nominated — [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie|Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie]]

|-

|rowspan=3|1994

|''[[Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (TV film)|Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All]]''

|Lucy Marsden (age 99-100)

|Nominated — [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie|Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie]]

|-

|''[[Great Performances]]'' - ''[[The Mother]]''

|Mrs. Fanning

|

|-

|''[[The Simpsons]]''

|Dr. Zweig (voice)

|episode "[[Fear of Flying (The Simpsons episode)|Fear of Flying]]"

|-

|1996

|''[[Homecoming (TV film)|Homecoming]]''

|Abigail Tillerman

|Nominated — [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie]]

|-

|1999

|''Deep in My Heart''

|Gerry Eileen Cummins

|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie|Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie]]

|-

|2001

|''Haven''

|Mama Gruber

|Nominated — [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie|Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie]]

|-

|2003

|''[[The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone (TV)|The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone]]''

|Contessa

|Nominated — [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie|Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie]]<br>Nominated — [[Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film]]<br>Nominated — [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie]]

|-

|2004

|''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''

|Herself

|}

==References==

{{More footnotes|article|date=April 2009}}

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Commons}}

*{{Amg name|80576}}

*{{ibdb|66812}}

*{{iobdb|Anne|Bancroft}}

*{{imdb|00843}}

*{{tcmdb name|9111}}

*{{findagrave|11121391}}

*{{ymovies name|1800011671}}

{{Template group

|title = Awards for Anne Bancroft

|list =

{{AcademyAwardBestActress 1961-1980}}

{{GoldenGlobeBestActressMotionPictureDrama 1961-1980}}

{{GoldenGlobeBestActressMotionPictureMusicalComedy 1961-1980}}

{{EmmyAward MiniseriesSupportingActress 1976-2000}}

{{TonyAward PlayLeadActress 1947-1975}}

{{TonyAward PlayFeaturedActress 1947-1975}}

}}

{{Persondata

|NAME=Bancroft, Anne

|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Italiano, Anna Maria Louisa

|SHORT DESCRIPTION=American actress

|DATE OF BIRTH=September 17, 1931

|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Bronx, New York City]], U.S.

|DATE OF DEATH= June 6, 2005

|PLACE OF DEATH=[[New York City, New York]], U.S.

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bancroft, Anne}}

[[Category:Actors Studio alumni]]

[[Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni]]

[[Category:American film actors]]

[[Category:American stage actors]]

[[Category:BAFTA winners (people)]]

[[Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners]]

[[Category:Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners]]

[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners]]

[[Category:Cancer deaths in New York]]

[[Category:Deaths from uterine cancer]]

[[Category:Emmy Award winners]]

[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]

[[Category:People from Fire Island, New York]]

[[Category:People from the Bronx]]

[[Category:Tony Award winners]]

[[Category:1931 births]]

[[Category:2005 deaths]]

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