ACTOR
Greer Garson
- Known for
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
38 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
Greer Garson is an actor best known for Goodbye, Mr. Chips.
All facts (38)
- #001
During her theatre days in London, Greer Garson took lessons from Laurence Olivier.
- #002
While at MGM in the 1940s, Greer Garson said she preferred playing comedy to drama, and she was envious that such roles went to another redheaded actress who had recently signed with the studio, Lucille Ball. Ironically, Ball was unhappy about being overlooked for dramatic roles.
- #003
In 1982, Greer Garson turned down an offer to appear in Aaron Spelling's hit series Dynasty (1981), which would have had her playing the mother of Joan Collins's Alexis.
- #004
Millions were donated for the construction of the Greer Garson Theatre at Santa Fe College. She had three conditions that had to be met: 1) it had to be a circular stage, 2) the first play had to be A Midsummer Night's Dream, and 3) it had to have a large ladies' restroom.
- #005
Her mother's maiden name was Greer, a shortened form of MacGregor. She was descended from Rob Roy MacGregor (who had red hair) of the Scottish clan Gregor.
- #006
In total, Greer Garson played Walter Pidgeon's wife eight times: Blossoms in the Dust (1941), Mrs. Miniver (1942), Madame Curie (1943), Mrs. Parkington (1944), Julia Misbehaves (1948), The Miniver Story (1950), Scandal at Scourie (1953) and That Forsyte Woman (1949).
- #007
In 1938, Greer Garson went on a strict diet to achieve the standard slim Hollywood figure, which left her malnourished.
- #008
The original Oscar Greer Garson won for Best Actress for Mrs. Miniver (1942) was destroyed in a fire at her home. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences later sent her a replacement.
- #009
Greer Garson was the third British actress to win the Oscar for Best Actress, but the first to have been born in Britain (Vivien Leigh was born in India and Joan Fontaine in Japan).
- #010
After Mrs. Miniver (1942), in which he played her son, Greer Garson married Richard Ney.
- #011
Greer Garson was nominated for an Oscar five years in a row: 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1945. She shares the record for most consecutive nominations with Bette Davis.
- #012
In 1952, Greer Garson accepted the Best Actress Oscar on behalf of Vivien Leigh, who was not present at the ceremony.
- #013
Her first marriage lasted only until the honeymoon. On their honeymoon in Germany (the Harz Mountains), she was effectively held captive by her possessive husband, and when she returned to England she moved in with her mother while her husband moved to India.
- #014
There is a Greer Garson Theatre on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Greer also donated most of her papers and personal belongings to the Jake and Nancy Hamon Library at Southern Methodist University.
- #015
Greer Garson was a naturalized United States citizen.
- #016
In 1958, Greer Garson replaced Rosalind Russell in the Broadway version of Auntie Mame.
- #017
Greer Garson had homes in Dallas and Los Angeles and a ranch near Pecos, New Mexico.
- #018
Greer Garson was a registered Republican, and it was briefly thought in 1966 that she would run for Congress as a Republican. Despite this, she reportedly supported RFK's candidacy in 1968 alongside Rosey Roosevelt Grier.
- #019
Greer Garson had a stepchild, Gayle Fogelson (1934-2017), who was adopted by her husband Buddy E. E. Fogelson after her sister's death.
- #020
MGM boss Louis B. Mayer signed Greer Garson after seeing her act on the London stage.
- #021
In 1990, Greer Garson received the Women's International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award.
- #022
In 1962, she accepted the Academy Award for Best Actress on behalf of Sophia Loren, who was not present at the ceremony.
- #023
Greer Garson was a fan of the film Top Gun (1986).
- #024
Greer Garson is known for her work on behalf of educational and cultural institutions.
- #025
She became the 20th actor to win an Oscar, taking the Best Actress Academy Award for her role in Mrs. Miniver (1942) at the 15th Academy Awards on 4 March 1943.
- #026
Greer Garson graduated from the University of London and studied at the University of Grenoble.
- #027
She is one of 12 actresses who won the Best Actress Oscar for a film that also won Best Picture (she won with Mrs. Miniver (1942)). The others are Claudette Colbert for It Happened One Night (1934), Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Vivien Leigh for Gone with the Wind (1939), Louise Fletcher for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Diane Keaton for Annie Hall (1977), Shirley MacLaine for Terms of Endearment (1983), Jessica Tandy for Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Jodie Foster for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Gwyneth Paltrow for Shakespeare in Love (1998), Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Frances McDormand for Nomadland (2020).
- #028
For her services to drama and entertainment, she was appointed CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1993 Queen's Honours List.
- #029
She received the prestigious TACA/Neiman-Marcus Silver Cup Award for her contributions to the arts in Dallas.
- #030
She appeared in six Oscar Best Picture nominees: Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), Blossoms in the Dust (1941), Mrs. Miniver (1942), Random Harvest (1942), Madame Curie (1943) and Julius Caesar (1953). Mrs. Miniver was the only winner. She was nominated for Best Actress for her performances in all of these films except Random Harvest and Julius Caesar.
- #031
She is best known for her role in Mrs. Miniver (1942).
- #032
In March 2013, she was honoured as Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month.
- #033
She was nominated for an Oscar 7 times.
- #034
She became the fourth most-nominated woman in the Best Actress Oscar category.
- #035
She was the daughter of Nina Garson.
- #036
Biography: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 225-227. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
- #037
A memorial service was held for her on 4 July 1996 at St. Paul's Church in Covent Garden.
- #038
In 1991, Garson received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University.
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