| Sylvia Sidney Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 2 in |
| Weight | 62 kg |
| Date of Birth | August 8, 1910 |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Date of Death | July 1, 1999 |
Sylvia Sidney was an American actress who starred in several classic films in her 70-year career including City Streets (1931), Sabotage (1936), Fury (1936), Beetlejuice (1988), Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973), Les Misérables (1952), You and Me (1938), Behold My Wife (1934), Blood on the Sun (1945), The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936), Used People (1992), Mars Attacks! (1996), etc.
Born Name
Sophia Kosow
Nick Name
Sylvia Sydney, Sid, The Woman with the Heart-Shaped Face, The Saddest Eyes in Hollywood
Age
She was born on August 8, 1910.
Died
Sylvia passed away from esophageal cancer on July 1, 1999, in New York City at the age of 88 years.
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
New York City, New York, United States
Nationality
Occupation
Actress
Family
- Father – Victor Kosow (Clothing Salesman)
- Mother – Rebecca Saperstein (aka Beatrice Sidney) (Dressmaker)
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 2 in or 157.5 cm
Weight
62 kg or 136.5 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
Sylvia Sidney had dated –
- Bennett Cerf (1934-1936) – She was married to the president of Random House Publishing, Bennett Cerf from October 1, 1935, to April 9, 1936.
- Luther Adler (1938-1947) – The actor and acting teacher Luther Adler became Sylvia’s second husband in August 1938. She gave birth to their son, her only child, named Jacob ‘Jody’ Adler on October 22, 1939. Sadly, Jacob died of Lou Gehrig’s disease in 1987. The couple filed for divorce in 1946 and it was finalized a year later in 1947.
- Carlton Alsop (1947-1951) – On March 5, 1947, she tied the knot with Carlton Alsop, who was a radio producer and announcer. However, the couple got officially divorced on March 22, 1951.
- B. P. Schulberg
Race / Ethnicity
White
She had Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
However, her hair had turned ‘Gray’ by the time of her death.
Eye Color
Blue-Green
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Husky voice
- Heart-shaped face
- Charming smile
Sylvia Sidney Facts
- She smoked her entire life and even continued to smoke while getting chemotherapy to treat her esophageal cancer. Moreover, her signature raspy voice was the result of a lifetime of smoking.
- The Turner Classic Movies dedicated August 7, 2020, in Sylvia’s honor and showcased her movies for the entire day as part of their ‘Summer Under the Stars’ Festival.
- She played the tragic geisha Cho-Cho San in the pre-Code drama film Madame Butterfly (1932) opposite Cary Grant. Her appearance in the film resulted in the production of a brand of Japanese condoms named ‘Sylvia Sidneys’.
- Her car had a personalized Connecticut license plate that read as ‘SYLIE’.
- She loved to needlepoint in her free time and wrote 2 books on this topic: Sylvia Sidney Needlepoint Book published in 1968 and Question and Answer Book on Needlepoint published in 1976.
- On February 8, 1960, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6245 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
- At the twilight of her career, Sylvia gained prominence by playing a caseworker in the afterlife named Juno in Tim Burton‘s Beetlejuice (1988). She was awarded a Saturn Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for her performance in the film.
- The Academy Award-winning French actress Marion Cotillard bears a striking resemblance to her.
Featured Image by Cinegraf Magazine / Wikimedia / Public Domain
