Post by Kaz ~;~ on Aug 11, 2010 6:15:30 GMT -5
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Date of Birth
28 May 1947, Shelbyville, Tennessee, USA
Height
5' 4"
Biography
Sondra Locke is an Oscar-nominated actress who starred in a string of popular films in the 1970s and 80s. This southern blonde was born and raised in the small town of Shelbyville, Tennessee, where her step-father owned a construction company. She was the class valedictorian at Shelbyville Central High School, where she also played basketball and performed in the drama club. In 1965, she won a statewide award as best actress for her performance in a stage production titled "The Monkey's Paw." This play was directed by her childhood friend, Gordon Anderson, who later became a sculptor. Sondra made a very unconventional choice by marrying the openly gay Anderson to solidify their friendship and bond with each other. With dreams of becoming a movie star,she traveled to New York to audition for the film The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968). She binded her bosom and told producers she was 17 to be more convincing for the role. She won the part over 2,000 other contenders. She portrayed Mick Kelly, a lonely, small-town southern girl who bonds with a deaf-mute man (played by Alan Arkin). Sondra's excellent performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards. However, her career did not take off instantly. Over the next few years, she made guest appearances on the television shows "Kung Fu" (1972) and "Barnaby Jones" (1973) and starred in a few TV and independent movies. One notable film of hers, Willard (1971), was moderately successful, gained a cult following and was later re-made. In 1972, Sondra met Clint Eastwood, who would become her lover and leading man in several films. She was auditioning for Breezy (1973), a film he was directing. Although she didn't get the part in that film, she later teamed up with him in the western classic The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). She portrayed Laura Lee, a pioneer girl who falls in love with Eastwood's character. This gave her a huge career boost, and she was next cast as a foul-mouthed prostitute in the action flick The Gauntlet (1977). More big movies followed, and she landed the lead female role of sexy country singer Lynne Halsey-Taylor in the blockbuster comedy Every Which Way But Loose (1978), which became the second-highest grossing film of the year. She played the same character in the hit sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980). Although Sondra gave heartfelt performances, her acting was often criticized. She undeservedly received a "Worst Actress" Razzie nomination for her performance as Antoinette Lily, a spoiled, stranded heiress who joins a Wild West Show in Bronco Billy (1980), which was not well-received by critics or audiences upon release. She portrayed Rosemary Clooney in the well-received television biopic Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story (1982) (TV). Sondra returned to the big screen as the femme fatale, revenge-seeking murderess Jennifer Spencer in Sudden Impact (1983), which was the highest grossing film of the "Dirty Harry" film series and considered by many to be the best sequel. After starring in several box-office hits, Sondra decided to fulfill another ambition of hers: directing. Eastwood financed her directorial debut in Ratboy (1986), a comedy in which Sondra starred in. The film was a flop and received another Razzie nomination. Film offers began drying up, and Sondra's career was sinking faster than it ever had before. She believed that her future laid in directing. The second film Sondra directed, Impulse (1990) was a thriller about a female cop going undercover as a prostitute. Sondra received critical praise for her efforts, and "Impulse" was hailed by film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert as the best directed film of the year. Her new career seemed to be growing strong, but during this time she had major problems in her personal life. While she was working on "Impulse," Eastwokd abruptly ended their relationship, and Sondra arrived home from work to find herself locked out of their house with her belongings placed in a storage facility. She sued him for palimony and received a directing deal with Warner Brothers as a settlement. Sondra was diagnosed with breast cancer during the ordeal and underwent a double mastectomy. Fortunately, she made a full recovery and began a relationship with weight-loss surgeon Scott Cunneen, the Chief of Surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in L.A., who was working as an intern at the hospital she was receiving chemotherapy from. She was eager to start working again, but she later discovered that the directing deal given to her was phony, when the studio had no intention of making any films with her. She pitched more than 30 movie suggestions, all of which were rejected. The only directing work she could find was with the made-for-television movie Death in Small Doses (1995) (TV) and the independent film Do Me a Favor (1997). However, she soon found herself back in court, suing the studio that had originally discovered her and the superstar that once claimed he loved her. She published an autobiography entitled "The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly" which chronicled her early beginnings in Tennessee, the truth about her marriage, and how Eastwood persuaded her to have two abortions and a tubal ligation. She received a $7 million out-of-court settlement in 1999. That year, she returned to acting and appeared in two independent films: The Prophet's Game (1999) and Clean and Narrow (1999). Sondra has not worked in the film industry since then. Sondra remains married in name only to Gordon Anderson, and the two also remain very close. She and Scott Cunneen began living together in 1996, and in 2001 she purchased a large home in the Hollywood Hills. They have since went their separate ways. She was the inspiration for the movie Our Very Own (2005), in which five teenagers in Shelbyville celebrate her success when she returns to their hometown.
Spouse
Gordon Anderson (25 September 1967 - present) (separated)
Trivia::
Former partner of Clint Eastwood (1975-1990). They never married.
Co-starred with boyfriend Clint Eastwood in six films: Any Which Way You Can (1980), Bronco Billy (1980), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), The Gauntlet (1977), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and Sudden Impact (1983).
Valedictorian of the Shelbyville Central High class of 1962.
Breast cancer survivor.
Locke sold her home in L.A. (at a considerable profit), and bought a much larger estate in the Hollywood Hills in February 2001 where she resides with her companion, Scott Cunneen, a director of surgery at Cedars Sinai Hospital.
Attended Middle Tennessee State University for a year (did not graduate). Was then discovered by Warner Bros. in a nationwide talent search to star in the film The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968).
After starring in Willard (1971), about a boy who trains rats, she directed and starred in Ratboy (1986), about a boy who is half rat.
Has appeared on the cover of People magazine twice, first in 1978 and again in 1989.
Maternal half-brother is Don Locke (born 1946).
Her step-father, Alfred Taylor Locke, died on November 30, 2007 at the age of 85.
Mother is Pauline Bayne Locke. Father is Raymond Smith.
Turned down the role of Mattie Ross in True Grit (1969) because she did not want to be typecast. The role went to Kim Darby.
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Personal Quotes::
In acting, you're subject to what everyone else does to you: the light someone else puts on you, the pace someone else sets for the scene, how someone else cuts you together, what they throw away and what they keep. Pretty soon you realize, 'This is great, but there must be something a little more.'
No matter how big actors get, they always somehow think, 'Today is it -- tomorrow everybody's going to wake up and hate me.'
As an actor, if there's a good role you can take it for the role's sake and not worry about the fact that the whole story doesn't seem to work. The actor won't get the blame for it. You'll do a good job and they'll say, 'The story stinks, but Sondra Locke was good in the part of whatever.' I look on acting as a great vacation now. You work a few weeks, get paid a lot of money and everyone pampers and takes care of you.
Everyone always wants to type you. With me, I started out as a vulnerable waif and for many years that's all anyone ever wanted me to play.
I've had some great parts, it's just that you're always looking for something that will take you in a different direction. People only see you in those boxes you've been most recently seen in. That way, they don't have to think or be creative.
[On Clint Eastwood's marriage to Dina Eastwood] The only sad thing is that there are other women in his life who are the mothers of his children, and he has chosen to marry one that is not.
Success is just a drop in the bucket, a grain of sand on the beach.
Externals don't throw me. I'm like a turtle. If I don't like the going, I just pull my head in.
[on marrying Gordon Anderson] It seemed like a natural thing to do.
[on the impact of her film debut] I was afraid Heart had put me into some kind of sexual oblivion. I played a practically prepuberty tomboy, and some producers thought I was a boy.
I am a romantic. I want to cry when I throw out my Christmas tree, and I have a lot of feelings about magic and fantasy. I believe in elves and giants. I believe that fairy tales are nothing more than news reports of what once happened.
-------------------------------
Date of Birth
28 May 1947, Shelbyville, Tennessee, USA
Height
5' 4"
Biography
Sondra Locke is an Oscar-nominated actress who starred in a string of popular films in the 1970s and 80s. This southern blonde was born and raised in the small town of Shelbyville, Tennessee, where her step-father owned a construction company. She was the class valedictorian at Shelbyville Central High School, where she also played basketball and performed in the drama club. In 1965, she won a statewide award as best actress for her performance in a stage production titled "The Monkey's Paw." This play was directed by her childhood friend, Gordon Anderson, who later became a sculptor. Sondra made a very unconventional choice by marrying the openly gay Anderson to solidify their friendship and bond with each other. With dreams of becoming a movie star,she traveled to New York to audition for the film The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968). She binded her bosom and told producers she was 17 to be more convincing for the role. She won the part over 2,000 other contenders. She portrayed Mick Kelly, a lonely, small-town southern girl who bonds with a deaf-mute man (played by Alan Arkin). Sondra's excellent performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards. However, her career did not take off instantly. Over the next few years, she made guest appearances on the television shows "Kung Fu" (1972) and "Barnaby Jones" (1973) and starred in a few TV and independent movies. One notable film of hers, Willard (1971), was moderately successful, gained a cult following and was later re-made. In 1972, Sondra met Clint Eastwood, who would become her lover and leading man in several films. She was auditioning for Breezy (1973), a film he was directing. Although she didn't get the part in that film, she later teamed up with him in the western classic The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). She portrayed Laura Lee, a pioneer girl who falls in love with Eastwood's character. This gave her a huge career boost, and she was next cast as a foul-mouthed prostitute in the action flick The Gauntlet (1977). More big movies followed, and she landed the lead female role of sexy country singer Lynne Halsey-Taylor in the blockbuster comedy Every Which Way But Loose (1978), which became the second-highest grossing film of the year. She played the same character in the hit sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980). Although Sondra gave heartfelt performances, her acting was often criticized. She undeservedly received a "Worst Actress" Razzie nomination for her performance as Antoinette Lily, a spoiled, stranded heiress who joins a Wild West Show in Bronco Billy (1980), which was not well-received by critics or audiences upon release. She portrayed Rosemary Clooney in the well-received television biopic Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story (1982) (TV). Sondra returned to the big screen as the femme fatale, revenge-seeking murderess Jennifer Spencer in Sudden Impact (1983), which was the highest grossing film of the "Dirty Harry" film series and considered by many to be the best sequel. After starring in several box-office hits, Sondra decided to fulfill another ambition of hers: directing. Eastwood financed her directorial debut in Ratboy (1986), a comedy in which Sondra starred in. The film was a flop and received another Razzie nomination. Film offers began drying up, and Sondra's career was sinking faster than it ever had before. She believed that her future laid in directing. The second film Sondra directed, Impulse (1990) was a thriller about a female cop going undercover as a prostitute. Sondra received critical praise for her efforts, and "Impulse" was hailed by film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert as the best directed film of the year. Her new career seemed to be growing strong, but during this time she had major problems in her personal life. While she was working on "Impulse," Eastwokd abruptly ended their relationship, and Sondra arrived home from work to find herself locked out of their house with her belongings placed in a storage facility. She sued him for palimony and received a directing deal with Warner Brothers as a settlement. Sondra was diagnosed with breast cancer during the ordeal and underwent a double mastectomy. Fortunately, she made a full recovery and began a relationship with weight-loss surgeon Scott Cunneen, the Chief of Surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in L.A., who was working as an intern at the hospital she was receiving chemotherapy from. She was eager to start working again, but she later discovered that the directing deal given to her was phony, when the studio had no intention of making any films with her. She pitched more than 30 movie suggestions, all of which were rejected. The only directing work she could find was with the made-for-television movie Death in Small Doses (1995) (TV) and the independent film Do Me a Favor (1997). However, she soon found herself back in court, suing the studio that had originally discovered her and the superstar that once claimed he loved her. She published an autobiography entitled "The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly" which chronicled her early beginnings in Tennessee, the truth about her marriage, and how Eastwood persuaded her to have two abortions and a tubal ligation. She received a $7 million out-of-court settlement in 1999. That year, she returned to acting and appeared in two independent films: The Prophet's Game (1999) and Clean and Narrow (1999). Sondra has not worked in the film industry since then. Sondra remains married in name only to Gordon Anderson, and the two also remain very close. She and Scott Cunneen began living together in 1996, and in 2001 she purchased a large home in the Hollywood Hills. They have since went their separate ways. She was the inspiration for the movie Our Very Own (2005), in which five teenagers in Shelbyville celebrate her success when she returns to their hometown.
Spouse
Gordon Anderson (25 September 1967 - present) (separated)
Trivia::
Former partner of Clint Eastwood (1975-1990). They never married.
Co-starred with boyfriend Clint Eastwood in six films: Any Which Way You Can (1980), Bronco Billy (1980), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), The Gauntlet (1977), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and Sudden Impact (1983).
Valedictorian of the Shelbyville Central High class of 1962.
Breast cancer survivor.
Locke sold her home in L.A. (at a considerable profit), and bought a much larger estate in the Hollywood Hills in February 2001 where she resides with her companion, Scott Cunneen, a director of surgery at Cedars Sinai Hospital.
Attended Middle Tennessee State University for a year (did not graduate). Was then discovered by Warner Bros. in a nationwide talent search to star in the film The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968).
After starring in Willard (1971), about a boy who trains rats, she directed and starred in Ratboy (1986), about a boy who is half rat.
Has appeared on the cover of People magazine twice, first in 1978 and again in 1989.
Maternal half-brother is Don Locke (born 1946).
Her step-father, Alfred Taylor Locke, died on November 30, 2007 at the age of 85.
Mother is Pauline Bayne Locke. Father is Raymond Smith.
Turned down the role of Mattie Ross in True Grit (1969) because she did not want to be typecast. The role went to Kim Darby.
-------------------------------
Personal Quotes::
In acting, you're subject to what everyone else does to you: the light someone else puts on you, the pace someone else sets for the scene, how someone else cuts you together, what they throw away and what they keep. Pretty soon you realize, 'This is great, but there must be something a little more.'
No matter how big actors get, they always somehow think, 'Today is it -- tomorrow everybody's going to wake up and hate me.'
As an actor, if there's a good role you can take it for the role's sake and not worry about the fact that the whole story doesn't seem to work. The actor won't get the blame for it. You'll do a good job and they'll say, 'The story stinks, but Sondra Locke was good in the part of whatever.' I look on acting as a great vacation now. You work a few weeks, get paid a lot of money and everyone pampers and takes care of you.
Everyone always wants to type you. With me, I started out as a vulnerable waif and for many years that's all anyone ever wanted me to play.
I've had some great parts, it's just that you're always looking for something that will take you in a different direction. People only see you in those boxes you've been most recently seen in. That way, they don't have to think or be creative.
[On Clint Eastwood's marriage to Dina Eastwood] The only sad thing is that there are other women in his life who are the mothers of his children, and he has chosen to marry one that is not.
Success is just a drop in the bucket, a grain of sand on the beach.
Externals don't throw me. I'm like a turtle. If I don't like the going, I just pull my head in.
[on marrying Gordon Anderson] It seemed like a natural thing to do.
[on the impact of her film debut] I was afraid Heart had put me into some kind of sexual oblivion. I played a practically prepuberty tomboy, and some producers thought I was a boy.
I am a romantic. I want to cry when I throw out my Christmas tree, and I have a lot of feelings about magic and fantasy. I believe in elves and giants. I believe that fairy tales are nothing more than news reports of what once happened.