Trivia

Was just 1 and a half years older than Susan Hayward, who played her daughter in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955).

Studied acting at the New York Neighbourhood Playhouse. Made her Broadway debut in 1946. Long-standing member of the Actors Studio.

Received the 1954 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) in a Play for her performance in Horton Foote's "The Trip to Bountiful", in which she co-starred with Lillian Gish and Eva Marie Saint.

Was the 43rd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for East of Eden (1955) at The 28th Annual Academy Awards (1956) on March 21, 1956.

Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7010 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

She attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California and later studied acting with Uta Hagen and Sanford Meisner at their eponymous acting studio in Greenwich Village, New York.

Was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actress (Dramatic) in 1958 for "Look Homeward, Angel."

Gave birth to her only child at age 33, a son Michael Gardner Bales on October 17, 1949. Child's father was her husband, William Bales.

She studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.

Upon her death, she was cremated and her ashes returned to her surviving relatives.

She has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: East of Eden (1955), Wild River (1960) and Cool Hand Luke (1967).

Like her fellow East of Eden (1955) cast members James Dean and Julie Harris, she was a member of the Actors Studio. Considered Elia Kazan a significant contributing influence to her success as an actress.

In March 1947, Van Fleet appeared with her acting mentors Uta Hagen and Sanford Meisner in Russian playwright Konstantin Simonov's comedy "The Whole World Over." The show closed after 100 performances.

Played the role of the Stepmother in the 1965 television remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1965), but was replaced by another (uncredited) actress when the cast album was recorded.

Grandmother of Hope (b. 1971), Shannon (b. 1973), Kristin (b. 1975) and Vincent (b. 1975), via son Michael and his [now ex] wife Connie Haines.

Van Fleet was born the second of two daughters of Roy Van Fleet (1877-1919), who was born in Michigan, and Elizabeth "Bessie" Catherine Gardner (1881-1971), who was born in Indiana. Her older sister is Corinne Van Fleet Malech Scipione (1902-1996).

Was just 20 years older than Lee Remick, who played her granddaughter in Wild River (1960).

Is one of 17 Oscar-winning actresses to have been born in the state of California. The others are Fay Bainter, Gloria Grahame, Liza Minnelli, Tatum O'Neal, Diane Keaton, Sally Field, Anjelica Huston, Cher, Jodie Foster, Helen Hunt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Marcia Gay Harden, Brie Larson, Regina King and Laura Dern.

Jo Van Fleet's film debut was as James Dean's mother in East of Eden which won her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.