Lee Grant
Known for
Lee Grant is an American actress and director whose career was marked as much by her talent as by the injustice of the Hollywood blacklist. She debuted in William Wyler's 'Detective Story' playing a young shoplifter, a role that earned her an Oscar nomination and the Best Actress award at Cannes, shortly before being blacklisted for twelve years by McCarthyism. She rebuilt her career with force and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 'Shampoo', as well as shining in 'In the Heat of the Night' and 'Valley of the Dolls'. Later she moved into documentary directing, delivering 'Down and Out in America', an Oscar winner. Her register combines sharpness, irony, and a vulnerability tempered by years of resistance.
Lee Grant
42 Movies
11 Series
Lee Grant is an American actress and director whose career was marked as much by her talent as by the injustice of the Hollywood blacklist. She debuted in William Wyler's 'Detective Story' playing a young shoplifter, a role that earned her an Oscar nomination and the Best Actress award at Cannes, shortly before being blacklisted for twelve years by McCarthyism. She rebuilt her career with force and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 'Shampoo', as well as shining in 'In the Heat of the Night' and 'Valley of the Dolls'. Later she moved into documentary directing, delivering 'Down and Out in America', an Oscar winner. Her register combines sharpness, irony, and a vulnerability tempered by years of resistance.
Movies
Plays Louise
Mulholland Drive
2001
Plays Mrs. Leslie Colbert
In the Heat of the Night
1967
Plays Ann Thorn
Damien - Omen II
1978
Plays Karen Wallace
Airport '77
1977
Plays Dr. Harper
Dr. T & the Women
2000
Plays Anne MacGregor
The Swarm
1978
Plays Lili Rosen
Voyage of the Damned
1976
Plays Lena Foster
Defending Your Life
1991
Plays Felicia Karpf
Shampoo
1975
Plays Miriam Polar
Valley of the Dolls
1967
Plays Deborah Ballin
Visiting Hours
1982
Plays Amalia Stark
It's My Party
1996
Plays Countess Ekaterina
Poor Liza
2000
Plays Shoplifter
Detective Story
1951
Plays Dr. Donna Burke
Teachers
1984
Plays Celia Pruett
Marooned
1969
Plays Ferguson Edwards
The Big Town
1987
Plays Marilyn
Middle of the Night
1959
Plays Mrs. Bullard
There Was a Crooked Man...
1970
Plays Ellen
The Mafu Cage
1978
Plays Joyce Enders
The Landlord
1970
Plays Jean Robertson
The Internecine Project
1974
Plays Dede Murphy
Divorce American Style
1967
Plays Fritzie Braddock
Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell
1968
Plays Mrs. Sylvia Lupowitz
Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen
1981
Director
Plays Flight Attendant (voice)
Tell Me a Riddle
1980
Plays Edna
Storm Fear
1955
Plays Cora Cahn
The Substance of Fire
1996
Plays Norma Hubley
Plaza Suite
1971
Plays Jane
Under Heat
1994
Plays Clarisse Ethridge
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?
1979
Plays Carmen
The Balcony
1963
Plays Sophie Portnoy
Portnoy's Complaint
1972
Plays Winnie
Going Shopping
2005
Plays Joanne
The Big Bounce
1969
TV Shows
Plays Grace Coolidge
Backstairs at the White House
1979
Plays Rachele Mussolini
Mussolini: The Untold Story
1985
Plays Emily Brooks
Studio One
1948
Plays Susan Buchanan
Mission: Impossible
1966
Plays Millie Hallop
The Fugitive
1963
Plays Rosemary
The Big Valley
1965
Plays Laura
ABC Stage 67
1966
Plays Norma Burgess
The Defenders
1961
Plays Edwina Booker
The Name of the Game
1968
Plays Irina Arkadina
Great Performances
1971
Plays Francesca Kirby
Ironside
1967
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster
Full Filmography
Killian & the Comeback Kids
Ms. Hunter (voice)
2020
Film
Going Shopping
Winnie
2005
Film
Mulholland Drive
Louise
2001
Film
Dr. T & the Women
Dr. Harper
2000
Film
Poor Liza
Countess Ekaterina
2000
Film
The Substance of Fire
Cora Cahn
1996
Film
It's My Party
Amalia Stark
1996
Film
Under Heat
Jane
1994
Film
Defending Your Life
Lena Foster
1991
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lee Grant and where are they from?
Lee Grant is 100 years old, born on October 31, 1925 in New York City, New York, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Lee Grant?
Lee Grant is best known for roles in Mulholland Drive, In the Heat of the Night, Damien - Omen II.
How many movies has Lee Grant been in?
Over a 75-year career (since 1951), Lee Grant has appeared in 42 movies and 9 TV shows.
What was Lee Grant's first movie?
The career of Lee Grant began with Detective Story (1951).
What is Lee Grant's most recent movie or series?
Lee Grant's most recent release is Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War, which premiered on March 12, 2024.
What TV shows has Lee Grant appeared in?
On television, Lee Grant has appeared in Mission: Impossible, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Oscars, Ironside.
Does Lee Grant have any upcoming projects?
Yes, Lee Grant's upcoming work includes: Dangerous Citizen: The Life and Times of Abraham Polonsky (2026).
Lee Grant
1925-10-31 · New York City, New York, USA
Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, 1925) is an American actress and director. She made her film debut in 1951 as a young shoplifter in William Wyler's Detective Story, co-starring Kirk Douglas and Eleanor Parker. This role earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress as well as the Best Actress Award at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival.
In 1952 she was blacklisted from most acting jobs for the next 12 years. She was able to find only occasional work onstage or as a teacher during this period. It also contributed to her divorce. She was removed from the blacklist in 1962 and rebuilt her acting career. She starred in 71 TV episodes of Peyton Place (1965–1966), followed by lead roles in films such as Valley of the Dolls, In the Heat of the Night (both 1967), and Shampoo (1975), for the last of which she won an Oscar. In 1964, she won the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress for her performance in The Maids. During her career she was nominated for the Emmy Award seven times between 1966 and 1993, winning twice.
In 1986 she directed Down and Out in America which tied for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and in the same year she also won a Directors Guild of America Award for Nobody's Child.