- In a recent video, Oscar- and Emmy-winning star Lee Grant is "still going strong" with her long gray hair and red lips at 97 after saying she had to hide her age for four decades.
- After gaining prominence due to her roles in "Shampoo," "Peyton Place," and "Valley of the Dolls," she disappeared from Hollywood. She was reportedly blacklisted because of her first husband.
- After being belittled and controlled for years, the actress is happy with her second husband. Her new partner is attentive to her needs, and Grant does not feel "that old" with him.
Lee Grant was on her way to becoming one of the most prominent female names in Hollywood. She stunned audiences with her role as Mrs. Colbert, the widow in the film "In the Heat of the Night," in 1967. Sadly, her career was snatched away right when she truly had the chance to bloom and make a lasting success of herself.
Nonetheless, Grant found a way to persist. At 97, the actress still has a love for films, and she looks terrific. The actress-turned-director recently appeared in a video introduction for the 2023 Glasgow Film Festival, sharing a bit about her life and what inspired her love for filmmaking, even after her community shunned her.
Lee Grant in "Airport '77," 1977 | Source: Getty Images
In it, the actress looked remarkable for her age, with long, flowing hair, red lips, and a youthfulness about her that suggests she will still be working in the entertainment industry for a few years. In the video, she talks about being shunned by Hollywood, winning an Oscar, and how "she fell in love" with directing.
The 1950s looked promising for a young, 20-something Grant.
Lee Grant, 2023 | Source: youtube.com/@GlasgowFilmFestival
Lee Grant, 2023 | Source: youtube.com/@GlasgowFilmFestival
After her failed first marriage, Grant found a man she would happily spend the rest of her life with. The actress opened up about her first marriage, revealing the terrible circumstances she had had to endure. Luckily, her current relationship is much more supportive, and he makes her feel youthful.
Grant remarked that her second husband keeps her feeling young, and his loving, nurturing disposition sustains her even as she ages. Interestingly, Grant's current husband, Joseph Feury, is 12 years younger than his beloved bride. Grant described him as "This really cute boy, and so dear, and so in love."
Lee Grant and Joe Fuery in Los Angeles, 2005 | Source: Getty Images
Much like Loretta Swift, Grant still looks great. Grant also opened up about her past works, saying she prefers documentaries and directing for the purely creative and rhetorical potential it holds. She has always tried to give an honest look at life and current events, and the experience of being blacklisted taught her how important it is to speak up for others.
How Marriage Made Grant a Martyr
The 1950s looked promising for a young, 20-something Grant. She had broken into Hollywood, and her co-workers had nothing but praise for her performances. She was going places. That was until the McCarthy era swooped in and sent Hollywood into a frenzy. Unfortunately, Grant was in the middle of it all.
Her acting career blossomed at 23 but was cut short a few years later — all because of the man she chose to marry. Grant's first husband was renowned writer Arnold Manoff. Grant's breakout role in "Detective Story" won her much praise, but Manoff's political leanings would cost Grant her career.
Lee Grant in Los Angeles, California, 1976 | Source: Getty Images
Jack Warden and Lee Grant, circa 1975, in "Shampoo" | Source: Getty Images
It was the early 1950s, and Hollywood was frantically blacklisting anyone associated with known Communists or even vaguely spouting Communist rhetoric. Manoff was one of the individuals Hollywood refused to work with, and as his wife, Grant was shoved to one side as well. She had no work, and her promising career seemed at an end.
However, the blacklisting taught her a lot. Grant confessed that those put out of work with her banded together and cared for each other. They also informed her about the political climate that led to her being shunned, which she greatly appreciated. She noted, "We all stuck together and I really loved those people."
But things at home weren't going well. She recalled Manoff forced her to read manifestos by Marx and Engels, lectured her, and treated her like a "maid." She stated, "I was living with a man who had nothing but contempt for me." He often belittled her and only used her to look after his two children from a previous marriage.
Stepping Back into the Spotlight
Authorities and the rest of Hollywood urged Grant to speak out against her husband, but she refused. Although her living conditions were deplorable, she wouldn't name Manoff as a Communist. So, the backlisting lasted until she was 36 years old.
"Peyton Place" opened numerous doors for Grant, and she finally landed a role in the hit film "Shampoo."
Joe Feury on October 05, 2019 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Joe Feury and Lee Grant attends in New York City, in 2011 | Source: Getty Images
The McCarthy era finally died down, people were named as Communists, and Hollywood invited Grant back. She was only allowed to return three years after many of her peers, merely because the authorities hoped to squeeze an admission from her about her husband's political orientation.
By the time she was back in Hollywood, she was older than many other actors, but she had a plan. She had a facelift and said she was younger than she was, and to her luck, she landed a role in "Peyton Place."
She also divorced Manoff and met Feury, the complete opposite of her abusive ex-husband. Grant said about marrying Feury, "It was like the biggest nourishment I could've had." But even her new husband didn't know how old she really was. For four decades, Grant hid her true age from the world so she could work.
Grant's Life Now
"Peyton Place" opened numerous doors for Grant, and she finally landed a role in the hit film "Shampoo." Her film career took off once more, but she soon discovered something that gave a voice to her and those around her.
Grant started making documentaries, allowing her to use her experiences from her time on the blacklist to do good. She focussed on the homeless, domestic violence, and the lives of women in prison, giving voice to those who couldn't speak for themselves.
With Feury beside her, who helps her not to feel "that old" and encourages everything she does, she took on the new challenge and once again made something great with her talents. Even now, the actress advocates against injustices, saying it's essential to stand up for your beliefs:
"You have to take your hat off and say where you stand, you must."
Lee Grant and Dinah Manoff, circa 1985 | Source: Getty Images
Like Brendan Fraser, Grant survived being blacklisted and is an adoring parent. She shares a daughter, Dinah Manoff, with her ex-husband and one with Feury. Manoff and Grant welcomed their daughter in 1956, and she followed her parents into the film industry.
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