Born Edith Holm Sondergaard in Litchfield, Minnesota. Successful stage actress in Hollywood from 1934, primarily as Hollywood's premier exotic villainess. A late bloomer by film standards, she didn't gain her first role into she was 36, when she appeared in Mervyn LeRoy's ANTHONY ADVERSE (1936). Her Academy Award for best supporting actress in that film was the first to be given in that category. It was a promising start to a promising career. She stayed fairly busy for the balance of the 1930s, but appeared in film after film in the 40s. Some of her notable credits from this period include THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937), JUAREZ (1939), THE BLUE BIRD, THE MARK OF ZORRO and THE BLACK CAT (all 1941), A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1943), SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SPIDER WOMAN (1944), ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM (1946, another Oscar nomination), ROAD TO RIO (1947) and EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE (1949). Politically active and married to "Hollywood Ten" member Herbert Biberman (1900-1971), Sondergaard was blacklisted in the late 1940s. When she finally returned to the screen in 1968, the roles were minuscule in comparison to her previous parts. After a few television appearances and movie roles in the 1970s, she made her last film, ECHOES, in 1983. She died two years later of cerebral vascular thrombosis at age 86.  Supporting Actress 1936: ANTHONY ADVERSE This is the first year for an Award in this category.  Nominated for Supporting Actress 1946: ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM 2 nominations, 1 Award