Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo (September 18, 1905 – April 15, 1990) was a Swedish-American actress.

Becoming an actress

When Greta was fourteen, her father, to whom she was extremely close, died, and her relationship with her mother was, at best, strained. Consequently, she was forced to leave school and go to work. Her first job was as a lather girl in a barbershop. She then became a clerk in a department store, where she would also model for newspaper ads. Her first motion picture aspirations came when she appeared in an advertising shot for the department store where she worked. That led to another short movie, which was seen by comedy director Eric Petscher. He cast her in a small part for the movie Peter The Tramp (1922).

Related Topics:
Model - Motion picture - 1922

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From 1922 to 1924, she studied at the prestigious Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. While she was there, she met the Swedish director Mauritz Stiller. He trained her in cinema acting technique and cast her in a major role in Gösta Berlings Saga (1924) (English: The Story of Gösta Berling) opposite Swedish film actor Lars Hanson. He also gave her the stage name Greta Garbo. She starred in two movies in Sweden and one in Germany.

Related Topics:
1922 - 1924 - Swedish - Mauritz Stiller - Cinema - Acting - 1924 - Lars Hanson - Stage name - Germany

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When Stiller went to the United States in 1925 to work for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he insisted that Garbo be given a contract as well. But their relationship came to an end as her fame grew. He was fired by MGM and returned to Sweden in 1928, where he died soon after.

Related Topics:
United States - 1925 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - Sweden - 1928

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