Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic, sardonic characters and was known for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional comedies, although her greatest successes were her roles in romantic dramas. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, was the first person to accrue ten Academy Award nominations for acting, and was the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. In 1999, Davis was placed second on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema.
Davis in 1935
Bette Davis and Donald Meek in Broken Dishes (1929). "I was now a bona fide Broadway actress—in a hit," Davis wrote.
Bette Davis in Bureau of Missing Persons (1933)
Davis in Of Human Bondage (1934)
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The award is traditionally presented by the previous year's Best Actor winner.
The 2023 recipient: Emma Stone
Mary Pickford won for Coquette (1929).
Norma Shearer won for The Divorcee (1930).
Marie Dressler won for Min and Bill (1930).