Born Dorothy Eloise Maloney in Chicago, IL. The daughter of a telephone company auditor, she modeled as a child and appeared regularly in school plays. At 18 she was spotted by a talent agent while performing in a college play at Southern Methodist University and signed by RKO. She played bits in several of the studio's films, under her real name, and changed her billing to Dorothy Malone when she joined Warners in 1945. Her roles gradually improved, but they consisted mainly of standard pretty girl leads. It wasn't until the mid-50s, more than a decade after her film debut, that she began to emerge as a fine dramatic actress, projecting an erotic blend of strength and vulnerability. She won a supporting-actress Oscar in 1956 for her role of a frustrated nymphomaniac in WRITTEN ON THE WIND. But like many Oscar winners before her, she found subsequent rewarding roles few and far between. From 1964 to 1969 she starred in the TV series "Peyton Place." She had a small part as a murderous lesbian in 1992's BASIC INSTINCT. Her first (1959-64) of three husbands was actor Jacques Bergerac. She now lives in Dallas, TX.  Supporting Actress 1956: WRITTEN ON THE WIND 1 nomination, 1 Award