| Joseph Cotten Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 1½ in |
| Weight | 86 kg |
| Date of Birth | May 15, 1905 |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Date of Death | February 6, 1994 |
Joseph Cotten was a distinguished American actor who became well-known for his phenomenal performances in such films as Citizen Kane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Journey into Fear (1943), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Gaslight (1944), Love Letters (1945), Duel in the Sun (1946), Portrait of Jennie (1948), The Third Man (1949), Niagara (1953), I’ll Be Seeing You (1944), Peking Express (1951), Since You Went Away (1944), The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), etc.
Born Name
Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr.
Nick Name
Jo
Age
Joseph Cotten was born on May 15, 1905.
Died
He passed away from pneumonia on February 6, 1994, at the age of 88 years in Los Angeles, California.
Sun Sign
Taurus
Born Place
Petersburg, Virginia, United States
Nationality
Occupation
Actor
Family
- Father – Joseph Cheshire Cotten Sr. (Assistant Postmaster)
- Mother – Sally Willson Cotten
- Siblings – He had 2 younger brothers including Sam Cotten.
Build
Slim
Height
6 ft 1½ in or 186.5 cm
Weight
86 kg or 189.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Joseph Cotten had dated –
- Lenore Kipp (1931-1960) – The Jack of Diamonds (1967) actor was married to Lenore Kipp from 1931 until her death from leukemia in 1960.
- Katharine Hepburn (1939)
- Ingrid Bergman
- Patricia Medina (1960-1994) – On October 20, 1960, he wed the British actress Patricia Medina. The couple enjoyed a long, happy marriage that lasted until Cotten’s death in February 1994. Moreover, the couple had no children together.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He was of English, French Huguenot, Irish, Swiss-German, Welsh, Northern Irish/Scots-Irish, Scottish, and Danish descent.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
However, his hair had turned ‘Gray’ by the time of his death.
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Wavy hair
- Tall frame
- Deep, raspy voice
- Cleft chin
Joseph Cotten Facts
- The Library of Congress selected 5 of his films to be a part of the National Film Registry due to their significance ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically’. These films are as follows: Citizen Kane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Gaslight (1944), and Touch of Evil (1958).
- Cotten formed a lifelong friendship with Orson Welles after meeting him on CBS Radio’s The American School of the Air at the start of their careers. The two ended up collaborating on Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942).
- In June 1981, he suffered a debilitating stroke and heart attack that damaged the speech center of the brain. He had to undergo years of therapy to recover his voice.
- Cotten has been portrayed by Tim Robbins in the television film Malice in Wonderland (1985), James Tupper in the film Me and Orson Welles (2008), Matthew Glave in the television series Feud (2017), etc.
- His film Citizen Kane (1941) topped the American Film Institute‘s 1998 list of ‘100 Years…100 Movies’. Similarly, his other film, The Third Man (1949) was ranked #1 on the British Film Institute‘s 1999 list of ‘Top 100 British Films’.
- In 1987, Cotten published his autobiography titled Vanity Will Get You Somewhere. The first person to read his manuscript was his dear friend, Orson Welles. The talented filmmaker sadly passed away the day after reading the manuscript on October 10, 1985.
Featured Image by Photoplay Publishing Company / Wikimedia / Public Domain
