Susan Hayward was an esteemed Academy Award-winning American actress.

Hayward was born Edythe Marrenner on the 30th June, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York. Her father’s name was Walter Marrenner and her mother’s name was Ellen Pearson. Haywards maternal grandparents had roots in Sweden. Susan Hayward worked initially for a handkerchief factory in Manhattan making clothe designs. Susan Hayward was always interested in acting and her passion steered her towards a career in modelling. After modelling for some time, in 1937, she moved to Hollywood. Her aim was to secure the role of Scarlett O'Hara in the movie titled “Gone with the Wind” however the role went to Vivien Leigh. For the next few years Susan Hayward had to struggle to get a breakthrough in Hollywood. Susan Hayward accepted many small roles in order to keep herself financially afloat.

Success came to Susan Hayward in 1939 when she was cast opposite Gary Cooper in a movie titled “Beau Geste”. Susan Hayward never had to look back from this point. She later acted in the lead role opposite John Wayne in two movies titled “Reap the Wild Wind” and “The Fighting Seabees”. Hayward also acted in the movie version of “The Hairy Ape” in 1944. Susan Hayward was once again cast opposite John Wayne by director Howard Hughes for the historical epic "The Conqueror” in 1955. Hayward played the role of Bortai in that film. Some of her prominent performances appeared in movies such as “With a Song in My Heart”, “David and Bathsheba”, “My Foolish Heart” and “Tap Roots”. These movies established her as one of the leading actresses of Hollywood movies.

In 1947, Susan Hayward played the role of a nightclub singer in the movie titled “Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman”. This role fetched her an Academy Award nomination. In the movie The President's Lady, she wonderfully acted as President Andrew Jackson's gloomy wife. The next acclaimed role was of an alcoholic actress Lillian Roth in the film “I'll Cry Tomorrow” in 1955. It was based on the famous author Roth's best-selling autobiography of the same title. This time Susan Hayward claimed the Cannes award for her performance.In 1958 Susan Hayward won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film titled “I Want to Live” playing the real life murderer Barbara Graham. Hayward received applaud for her role in a Las Vegas production titled “Mame”. Her career spanned the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Unfortunately Susan Hayward was diagnosed with the early stages of brain cancer in 1972. Hayward's ailment affected her acting career to a great extent. She was unable to complete the existing projects in hand or sign new roles in movies. It also made her shy away from the Hollywood limelight. Hayward's final movie role was as Dr. Maggie Cole in the TV soap “Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole”.

Hayward was married to leading actor Jess Barker during the years 1944 to 1954. Three years after her divorce from Jess Barker, Hayward married Eaton Chalkley, a businessman in 1957. Chalkley passed away in 1966 after nine years of a successful marriage. Affected by the sorrow and pain of losing a loved one Susan Hayward reduced on her commitment towards film roles in the following years. Susan Hayward succumbed to her ailment and passed away at the age of 57 on the 14th March, 1975. Hayward was cremated and buried next to her husband in Carrollton, Georgia.