Maureen Stapleton, a renowned Academy Award-winning actress, was born on June 21, 1925, in Troy, New York, to Irene (née Walsh) and John P. Stapleton, a family of Irish descent.
Maureen relocated to New York City at the tender age of eighteen, where she pursued a career in modeling to support herself financially. Prior to her film debut, she had already established herself as a Tony Award-winning stage actress.
Maureen made her Academy Award-nominated film debut in "Lonelyhearts" (1958),alongside notable actors Montgomery Clift and Myrna Loy. Her performance earned her a nomination for the prestigious Oscar award.
Maureen received another Academy Award nomination for her role in "Airport" (1970),where she played the wife of D.O. Guerrero, portrayed by Academy Award-winning actor Van Heflin.
Eight years later, Maureen earned her third Oscar nomination for her performance as Pearl, the stepmother of Diane Keaton, Kristen Griffith, and Mary Beth Hurt, in the Woody Allen drama "Interiors" (1978).
Maureen's fourth Oscar nomination proved to be a charm, as she took home the award for her portrayal of Emma Goldman, a Lithuanian-born anarchist, in Warren Beatty's critically acclaimed film "Reds" (1981).