Lee Grant, born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal, was one of the most striking and talented actresses to emerge from Hollywood’s golden era. Boasting a captivating screen presence and grace, she quickly rose to prominence in the early 1950s, highlighted by her film debut in the 1951 adaptation of Detective Story, which earned her an Academy Award nomination and the Best Actress Award at Cannes.
However, her promising career was abruptly disrupted when she was blacklisted for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee during the Red Scare. From 1952 to 1964, Grant was nearly shut out of the industry and forced to work under pseudonyms or outside mainstream film.
Despite this setback, Grant made a stunning return, winning an Emmy for Peyton Place in 1966 and later receiving acclaim in films like Valley of the Dolls, In the Heat of the Night, Shampoo (for which she won an Oscar), and Mulholland Drive. Her transition to directing, particularly documentaries, added another layer to her distinguished career.
Grant’s story is a powerful reminder of the price many paid during Hollywood’s dark political era and the resilience it took to rebuild their legacies.
