Luise Rainer was a German-American-British film actress. She was the first thespian to win multiple Academy Awards and the first to win back-to-back; at the time of her death, thirteen days shy of her 105th birthday, she was the longest-lived Oscar recipient, a superlative that has not been exceeded as of 2022.
Luise Rainer was a German-American-British film actress who achieved fame and acclaim in Hollywood in the 1930s. She was the first person to win two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actress, for her performances in The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and The Good Earth (1937). She was also known as the “Viennese teardrop” for her emotional acting style. She began her career in Germany and Austria, where she worked with renowned theater director Max Reinhardt. She moved to the United States in 1935, after being discovered by MGM talent scouts. She quickly rose to stardom, but her career declined after a series of disappointing roles and conflicts with the studio. She left Hollywood in 1938 and returned to Europe, where she continued to act sporadically until 2003. She was married twice, first to playwright Clifford Odets and later to publisher Robert Knittel. She died in 2014 at the age of 104, being the longest-lived Oscar recipient at the time of her death.