Profile of the Day: Joan Crawford

Today we remember actress Joan Crawford, who was born on March 23. The exact year of her birth is unknown, with various sources claiming she was born 1904-1908. Crawford herself claimed she was born in 1908.

Image: Joan Crawford / Wikimedia Commons

Crawford was born Lucille Fay LeSueur in San Antonio, Texas to Thomas E. Le Sueur and Anna Bell Johnson. From a young age, Crawford loved to dance and had ambitions to become a dancer. She left school to pursue a dancing career, eventually dancing in the Broadway show Innocent Eyes. She next began appearing on screen for MGM and took the stage name “Joan Crawford” following a magazine contest sponsored by the studio. She starred in a string of successful films and won an Oscar for her role in the 1945 film Mildred Pierce.

She was married four times, with three marriages to actors, including Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., the son of Hollywood legend Douglas Fairbanks. In 1956, she married Alfred Steele, the chairman of Pepsi-Cola. After his death, Crawford was elected to take his place on the board of directors, becoming the first woman to do so.

Crawford died on May 10, 1977.

Explore Joan Crawford’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re connected to the star.

View Joan Crawford’s Geni Profile