50 Astonishing Facts About Actresses – Part 6

Austrian actress Eva von Berne was presumed to have been deceased for over 70 years because a PR consultant at MGM accidentally reported her death in 1930. At the age of 96, von Berne remarked in 2006, "It was fortunate that the world believed I had died. So, I did not have to contend with autograph hunters."

In 2010, Emma Stone celebrated her mother being cancer-free for two years by writing a letter to Paul McCartney, requesting him to sketch two birds' feet because The Beatles' song "Blackbird" was her mother's favorite. Paul sketched the birds, which Emma and her mom used to get matching wrist tattoos.

Actress and pinup girl Rita Hayworth's face was surreptitiously painted on several atomic bombs tested in the late 1940s without her authorization. When she discovered this, she flew into a rage and held a press conference to announce her disapproval.

Actress Charisma Carpenter and her friends were the victims of an assault in 1991 in San Diego by Henry Hubbard Jr., a former police officer and serial rapist. After escaping with their lives and Hubbard Jr.'s subsequent arrest, Carpenter provided crucial evidence that helped secure a 56-year conviction for Hubbard Jr.

During the production of Blazing Saddles, retired actress Hedy Lamarr sued Warner Bros. for $100,000 due to a character named Hedley Lamarr. The lawsuit is humorously referenced in the film by Mel Brooks' character, who says, "This is 1874; you'll be able to sue HER."

Actress Glynis Johns initially believed she was being offered the role of Mary Poppins. To soften the disappointment of being cast as Mrs. Banks, Walt Disney announced that she would receive her own song. He promptly contacted the film's songwriters, who adapted a deleted song into "Sister Suffragette."

In 1989, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor slapped a Beverly Hills police officer in the face during a traffic stop. A jury found her guilty, and she ultimately served a three-day jail sentence.

Melora Hardin, the actress who portrays Jan Levinson-Gould on The Office, was originally cast to play Jennifer Parker in Back to the Future. However, when Eric Stolz was fired and Michael J. Fox was hired for the role, she was replaced because of her height, which was deemed too tall for Fox.

In 1987, Jamie Lee Curtis invented and patented a diaper modification-a moisture-proof pocket containing wipes for easy access. She refused to allow it to be marketed until companies began selling biodegradable diapers. The patent expired in 2007 and is now in the public domain.

Andie MacDowell's first significant opportunity was the role of Jane in "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan," but her Southern accent was too pronounced for her to play the role of an Englishwoman. Ironically, in the original book, Jane was an American Southerner.