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Teresa Wright

ACTOR · BORN 1918 · DIED 2005

Teresa Wright

Born
27 October 1918, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Died
6 March 2005
Known for
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Somewhere in Time (1980)

23 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026

Teresa Wright (27 October 1918 – 6 March 2005) was an actor best known for The Best Years of Our Lives and Somewhere in Time.

Teresa Wright over the years

Teresa Wright in 1942 (age 24)
1942 · age 24Roman Freulich, Public domain
Teresa Wright in 1953 (age 35)
1953 · age 35Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain

23 Interesting Facts About Teresa Wright

Interesting Facts (6)

  1. #001

    She was only 11 years older than Jean Simmons, who played her daughter in the films The Actress (1953) and The Happy Ending (1969).

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  2. #002

    For many years, Wright resided in Bridgewater, a pastoral town in Connecticut's Litchfield County.

    Teresa Wright — portrait
    Teresa Wright: portraitImage: Wikimedia Commons · produced by MGM and supplied to CINE MUNDIAL magazine, Public domain

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  3. #003

    She was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut.

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  4. #004

    Biography: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 587-588. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.

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  5. #005

    In Italy she was frequently dubbed by Rosetta Calavetta. She was also sometimes dubbed by Rina Morelli, especially in The Little Foxes (1941); by Dhia Cristiani and, once, by Paola Barbara in Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt (1943).

    Teresa Wright — a scene
    Teresa Wright: a sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Roman Freulich, Public domain

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  6. #006

    Son Niven weighed 7 lbs., 4 oz. at birth and daughter Mary weighed 5 lbs., 3 oz. at birth.

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Characters & Cast (2)

  1. #007

    She was originally set to star in producer David O. Selznick's Duel in the Sun (1946), written at the time by her then-husband Niven Busch. However, shortly before filming began she became pregnant, and Busch had to go to Selznick's office to inform him that she had to withdraw from the film. Selznick, known for his stubbornness, tried to persuade Busch to let her play the role, which required a great deal of physical action, and Busch refused outright. As he turned to leave the office, Selznick blurted out, "Dammit, Busch, she isn't the only one you screwed!"

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  2. #008

    Her husband Niven Busch originally wrote Duel in the Sun (1946) for her to play the lead, in contrast to her usual girl-next-door roles. However, pregnancy forced her to leave the project, and Jennifer Jones took over the lead.

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Career & Awards (8)

  1. #009

    As of 2024, she remains the only actor to have been nominated for an Oscar for her first three films.

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  2. #010

    Samuel Goldwyn discovered her in the popular Broadway play "Life with Father" and invited her to Hollywood to play Alexandra, the daughter of Bette Davis's character, in The Little Foxes (1941).

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  3. #011

    Until Jennifer Lawrence received her third nomination in 2014, Wright held the record as the youngest actor to receive three acting Oscar nominations. Wright was 24 years, 3 months and 20 days old at the time of her third nomination; Lawrence was 23 years, 5 months and 0 days old.

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  4. #012

    She appeared in four films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Little Foxes (1941), Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Pride of the Yankees (1942) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). Mrs. Miniver and The Best Years of Our Lives won in the category.

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  5. #013

    She appeared in four films selected by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Pride of the Yankees (1942), Shadow of a Doubt (1943) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).

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  6. #014

    When she completed her run in the Broadway show "Life with Father," she was seven months pregnant with her daughter Mary.

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  7. #015

    Because she grew up in the state, she was nominated for the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2015 for her services in the performing arts, but was not accepted.

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  8. #016

    Teresa Wright, who appeared as a guest actor in the 1984 film Murder, She Wrote, is one of four Oscar winners for Best Supporting Actress to do so. The others are Claire Trevor, Kim Hunter and Shirley Jones.

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Life & Family (7)

  1. #017

    In honor of her heartfelt performance in The Pride of the Yankees (1942), when Teresa Wright died in 2005, her name was read among all the actors when the roll call of deceased former Yankees was announced.

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  2. #018

    She appeared in three films with Patricia Collinge; she played her niece in The Little Foxes (1941) and her daughter twice, in Shadow of a Doubt (1943) and Casanova Brown (1944).

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  3. #019

    On September 12, 1947, at the age of 28, she gave birth to her second child, Mary Kelly Busch. The child's father is her first ex-husband, Niven Busch.

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  4. #020

    Her daughter Mary made Wright a grandmother for the first time at the age of 56 when she gave birth to Wright's grandson Jonah Smith on June 6, 1975.

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  5. #021

    Wright became a grandmother for the second time at the age of 68 when her son Niven and his wife Francesca had her granddaughter Katherine Corrine Busch on 9 February 1987.

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  6. #022

    Although she played Diane Keaton's grandmother in The Good Mother (1988), in real life she was only 27 years older than her.

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  7. #023

    In 1996 she donated money to Bill Clinton's campaign.

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Related pages

  • Rita Moreno — Teresa Wright comes up in the facts on that page
  • William Wyler — Teresa Wright comes up in the facts on that page
  • Marlon Brando — Teresa Wright comes up in the facts on that page

Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • Wikipedia English Wikipedia article
  • IMDb IMDb name page (biography and trivia)

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