At 92, Ellen Burstyn is a true Hollywood legend — graceful, talented, and still looking phenomenal.
Her career is spotless, seemingly free of scandals or gossip. But behind her success lie some very dark chapters: years of terror with a schizophrenic husband, an illegal abortion, and death threats.
How did Ellen survive? Keep reading to find out.
Transformation from shy introvert
Ellen Burstyn’s life is as extraordinary as her career. Over more than four decades, she has dazzled audiences on stage, film, and television. But she has also endured a cruel mother, an absent father, relentless abuse, and an abortion at 18 that left her unable to have children.
Despite her success and acclaim, Ellen Burstyn long remained one of America’s least publicized stars. In her early career, she was remarkably reserved, often blushing during interviews like a self-conscious schoolgirl. Her eyes would flit nervously around the room, and her hands would flutter with unease.
But Ellen’s transformation from a shy introvert to a poised and confident extrovert was nothing short of inspiring. Simply put, she grew tired of her shyness — it didn’t align with her professional ambitions.
Ellen Burstyn as a young girl
Let’s start from the beginning. Ellen Burstyn was born Edna Rae Gillooly on December 7, 1932, in Detroit, the daughter of Correine Marie (née Hamel) and John Austin Gillooly. Sadly, her childhood was far from idyllic. When her parents divorced, Ellen and her two brothers, Jack and Steven, moved in with their mother and her new partner.
Unfortunately, their new home offered little in the way of love or kindness, painting a grim picture of a young girl starved for affection.
”I wasn’t a happy kid. Hell to med would be being a a child again. I always felt like a stranger, like I was born into this time and this place by accident,” Ellen once told the Miami Herald.
Determined to break free, Ellen made herself a solemn promise — to leave home on her 18th birthday and escape her cold, controlling and violent mother. It was the beginning of a journey that would lead her from adversity to extraordinary achievement.
Used her sexuality as a way to survive
During her high school years, Ellen Burstyn was the picture of ambition and energy— a cheerleader captain, a student council member, and the president of her drama club. But her story took an unexpected turn when she dropped out during her senior year after struggling academically.
After dropping out, Ellen started working as a dancer using the name Kerri Flynn, and then made a living as a model until the age of 23.
In her younger years, Burstyn admitted that she learned to use her sexuality as a way to survive.
”When I was 18 or 19, I wasn’t earning very much money, so I ate when I had a date,” she said on The Oprah Winfrey Show. ”But that was all the food I got. So I felt the least I could was say `thank you.’”
Ellen’s biological father was absent during her upbringing. She recalls seeing him only once while attending boarding school.
At 19, she attempted to reconnect, hoping for a father-daughter bond. ”I arrived on his doorstep and… he didn’t consider me a daughter, he considered me a hot babe. So that ended that relationship,” she says.
Ellen Burstyn changed her name 25 times
According to Ellen Burstyn herself, she’s changed her name about 25 times — a true chameleon in every sense. During her early days as a model in Dallas and New York, she went by Edna Rae. For a mid-1950s screen test, she became Erica Denn. From 1955 to 1956, she lit up The Jackie Gleason Show as an “Away We Go” dancing girl under the name Erica Dean.
When she transitioned from modeling to acting, she adopted the name Ellen McRae, making her Broadway debut in 1957. New York brought her a few small walk-on roles in television, but nothing that truly launched her career.
For her early film appearances, she stuck with Edna McRae — until 1969, when she starred in Tropic of Cancer. That was when the name Ellen Burstyn finally took center stage. And the rest, as they say, is history.
It was the film Tropic of Cancer, where Ellen starred opposite Rip Torn, that became the breakthrough role for the hardworking actress. Director Paul Mazursky took note of her performance and was so impressed that he cast her as Donald Sutherland’s wife in Alex in Wonderland. This role opened doors for Ellen, marking the start of a new chapter in her career.
Injured during the shooting of The Exorcist
Ellen Burstyn earned widespread acclaim for her portrayal of a small-town mother in The Last Picture Show, a role that garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The film itself received eight Oscar nominations, further cementing Burstyn’s place as a rising star.