Helen Hayes
First Lady of American Theatre and EGOT winner.
Helen Hayes MacArthur (October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award). Hayes also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Ronald Reagan in 1986, and the National Medal of Arts in 1988. The annual Helen Hayes Awards, recognizing excellence in professional theatre in greater Washington, D.C., since 1984, are her namesake. In 1955, the former Fulton Theatre on 46th Street in New York City's Theatre District was renamed the Helen Hayes Theatre. When that venue was demolished in 1982, the nearby Little Theatre was renamed in her honor. Her career spanned 82 years.
- born
- October 10, 1900, Washington, D.C.
- died
- March 17, 1993
- field
- Acting
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- First woman to win the EGOT; first person to win the Triple Crown of Acting; called 'First Lady of American Theatre'
Lore & Background
Hayes was born in Washington, D.C., on October 10, 1900. Her mother, Catherine Estelle "Essie" (née Hayes), was an aspiring actress; her father, Francis van Arnum Brown, worked as a clerk and salesman. Hayes attended Dominican Academy's primary school from 1910 to 1912, and graduated from the Academy of the Sacred Heart Convent in Washington in 1917. She began her stage career at age five at Washington's Belasco Theatre. By age 10, she had made a short silent film, Jean and the Calico Doll (1910). Her sound film debut was The Sin of Madelon Claudet, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She later won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Airport (1970). Hayes returned to Broadway in 1935, playing the title role in Victoria Regina. In 1953, she was the first recipient of the Sarah Siddons Award. She wrote three memoirs: A Gift of Joy, On Reflection, and My Life in Three Acts. Hayes was a Catholic and a Republican. She was hospitalized for asthma, which forced her retirement from theater in 1971. Her last Broadway show was a 1970 revival of Harvey.
Reader's Guide
Hayes is regarded as one of the greatest leading ladies of 20th-century theatre. She was the second person and first woman to win the EGOT. It is unclear when or by whom she was called the "First Lady of the Theatre". She was a leading philanthropist, most proud of her 49-year association with the Helen Hayes Hospital. In 1982, with Lady Bird Johnson, she founded the National Wildflower Research Center. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is in the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
Did You Know?
- Hayes was the second person and first woman to win the EGOT.
- She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Sin of Madelon Claudet and Best Supporting Actress for Airport (1970).
- The Helen Hayes Theatre in New York was originally the Fulton Theatre, renamed in 1955.
- Hayes co-wrote the book Twice Over Lightly with Anita Loos in 1972.
- She delivered a seconding speech for George H. W. Bush at the 1988 Republican National Convention.
More in Stage Legends 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record