Resilient Facts About Ellen Burstyn, The Actor Who Worked With The Devil
Ellen Burstyn faced a devil of a director: oh, and also the devil itself.
1. She Was A Triple Crown
Ellen Burstyn survived growing up in a horrible household in Detroit—only to go on to meet boyfriends and husbands who lied, battled the bottle and even, in one terrifying situation, stalked her.
If that wasn’t enough, she had to work with one of the most terrifying directors while making one of the most terrifying films of all time. And what was her reward?
Well, she did become a Triple Crown actor. If the title of this list is a mystery, read on to find out more about one of Hollywood’s toughest survivors, Ellen Burstyn.
2. She Sent Her Away
Like many actors, Ellen Burstyn came from a broken family. She was born named Edna Rae Gillooly in Detroit, Michigan on December 7, 1932. Her mom and dad’s marriage didn’t last long—but there was a bizarre twist. Instead of living with one parent or sharing custody, the newly separated couple sent little Ellen across the border to a private Catholic school in Windsor, Canada.
This gave mom free reign to date other men without her pesky daughter getting in the way. Once mom had found husband number two, she brought Ellen back home. The new household, however, was going to be far, far away from ideal.
3. She Was A Quitter
Soon, Ellen Burstyn was back in Detroit and living with mom, her two brothers and the new dad. Burstyn’s memories of her mom and her new father focus on their cruelty—which was both physical and emotional. She recalls her stepfather attacking her so brutally while she was preparing food that she nearly reached for a knife to defend herself. To combat the terror of living in such a cruel household, Burstyn dove deeply into school activities.
She was a cheerleader, a student council member and the president of the drama club—but then, she suddenly dropped out. The reason why was heartbreaking.
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4. She Used Her Gifts
Burstyn may have thrown her energy into activities, but her grades had suffered. And now, without a diploma, she needed to find another way to escape her horrible home life. She locked onto modeling and dancing and decided that to launch her new career she needed a new name. She then became “Kerri Flynn,” and her new persona found Detroit to be a little lacking. She got on a bus heading to the bright lights of Dallas and a brand new life.
Oh, and incidentally: she only had 50 cents in her pocket.
