United States
Bette Davis
said
I love my profession. I would never stop. Relax? I relax when I work. It's my life.
— Nina J. Easton, Los Angeles Times (January 4, 1989) "Bette Davis smoking over `Stepmother' role", Houston Chronicle, p. 10.
Bette Davis
American actress (1908–1989)
- Fame68.2
- Momentum0.0
- United States rank#87
Source-basedFalling
- Fame68.2
- Momentum0.0
- United States rank#87
- Comedians rank#88
- Wikipedia123K
Lived 1908–1989, aged 81United States
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Summary
Updated 2026-06-21
The eyes, the cigarette, the clipped acid delivery — she made a career out of playing women no one else would touch. Bette Davis didn't soften for the camera; she leaned into the sharpness, the bitterness, the unsympathetic, and Hollywood had no choice but to watch.
Biography
About
Ruth Elizabeth Davis came to Hollywood in 1930 after Broadway, but Universal saw nothing in her. Warner Bros. took a chance in 1932, and two years later she broke through as a vulgar waitress in Of Human Bondage — a performance so raw the Academy left her off the ballot, then handed her the Oscar the next year for Dangerous as if in apology. She fought the studio in court in 1936, lost, and somehow that defiance launched the best decade of her life: Jezebel in 1938 brought a second Oscar, then five straight Best Actress nominations through 1942. The late '40s dimmed her, but All About Eve in 1…
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In their own words
Sourced, dated quotes from Bette Davis
Bette Davis
said
In the beginning was the Word,' and you must not be tempted with a script just because you have a great part.
— Louise Sweeney (December 28, 1987) "Bette Davis: On the heels of a new honor and a new film, a screen legend looks back over her 60-year
Bette Davis
said
I think Mr. Reagan has done very well under very difficult circumstances. He's had terrific problems physically and he's managed them very well. But my God, the witch hunt today!
— Liz Smith, United Press (November 23, 1987) "A Whale of an Interview With Bette Davis", San Francisco Chronicle, p. F1.
Bette Davis
said
May each of my grandsons know, at an early age, what his life's ambition is -- and may he be successful in his pursuit of that goal.
— Cathy Collison (November 16, 1983) "Savitch Remembered Crim In Will", Detroit Free Press, p. 14D.
Bette Davis
said
Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.
— From Davis' running commentary in Whitney Stine's Mother Goddam (1974), p. 123
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The six component signals behind the Fame score, and their ranks across the leaderboards.
Fame
Falling68.2
Composite of search demand, mentions, audience & graph footprint.
Score components
Historical28.4
Source confidence75.0
Completeness85.0
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Sources
- WikipediaHigh confidencewikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- WikidataHigh confidencewikidata · wikidata.org
- Pantheon 2.0High confidencedatabase · pantheon.world
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