Helen Hayes MacArthur was an American actress whose career spanned 82 years. She eventually received the nickname "First Lady of American Theatre" and was the second person and first woman to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. She was also the first person to win the Triple Crown of Acting. Hayes also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, from President Ronald Reagan in 1986. In 1988, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
Hayes in 1947
Hayes in the film What Every Woman Knows (1934)
Riverside Shakespeare Company Shakespeare Center Dedication with Helen Hayes, 1982
Hayes and a young patient at Helen Hayes Hospital 1945
The Triple Crown of Acting is a term used in the American entertainment industry to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories, the highest awards recognized in American film, television, and theater, respectively. The term is related to other competitive areas, such as the Triple Crown of horse racing.
Image: Promotional photograph of Helen Hayes
Image: Thomas Mitchell 1953
Image: Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight 1944
Image: Shirley Booth 1950
