Mary Costa, an American lyric soprano and actress, was born to Italian ancestry parents John and Hazel Costa. She was a beautiful blue-eyed blonde and trained at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. Her early career began with radio appearances on Edgar Bergen's show, and at the age of 22, she was discovered by composer Walter Schumann, who cast her as Princess Aurora in Walt Disney's animated feature Sleeping Beauty in 1959.
Mary married Hollywood director Frank Tashlin in 1953 and appeared in his screwball farce Marry Me Again at RKO that same year. She made a few television guest spots and then played a gangster's moll opposite Rory Calhoun in the entertaining film noir The Big Caper in 1957. Her last noted performance on screen was as Henrietta 'Jetty' Treffz, the first wife of composer Johann Strauss, in the biopic The Great Waltz in 1972.
Mary made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Violetta in La Traviata in 1964, going on to international stardom as a famous diva. She performed at many of the great concert halls and opera houses throughout the U.S. and Europe.
In recognition of her extraordinary talent, inspiration, and contribution to the operatic arts, Mary Costa was named a Disney Legend in 1999 and awarded a National Medal of Arts at the White House in January 2021. Her stellar career includes performances in 38 operatic roles.
