Hollywood's golden age produced some of the most unforgettable stars the world has ever known – larger-than-life figures who continue to shine long after the studio lights dimmed.
From Western heroes and screen sirens to groundbreaking trailblazers, the actors of the 1950s shaped cinema, style and celebrity culture in ways that still influence pop culture today. Some became icons almost overnight, while others grew their legacy role by role, through daring choices and deeply human performances.
But behind all the glitz and glamour sat complex personal lives, creative clashes, great loves, devastating losses and, for some, tragic endings that only added to their myth.
Join HELLO! as we look back at the 1950s stars who defined the era, and the legacies that continue to captivate movie lovers generations later.
John Wayne
© Getty ImagesFew names loom as large over Hollywood’s mid-century landscape as John Wayne. One of the most enduring leading men of the era, he defined the classic Western and war-film genres. Rising to fame with Stagecoach in 1939, he dominated movie screens in the 1950s with hits such as The Searchers, Hondo, Rio Bravo and The Quiet Man. His Oscar-winning turn in True Grit gave him one of his most quoted lines: "Fill your hand, you son of a gun!" and cemented his legacy as an American screen icon. Often referred to as "The Duke," John was a central figure in shaping the western genre. Born Marion Robert Morrison, I guess as a rugged superstar he needed a name change to fit the Western icon he was to become.
© Getty ImagesOff screen, Wayne's personal life was as dramatic as his roles: throughout the course of his life, he was married three times, to Josephine Sáenz from 1933 to 1945, to Esperanza Baur from 1946 to 1954, and then to Pilar Pallete from 1954 until his death in 1979. He also had seven children, some of whom followed him into the movie industry. A heavy smoker, he battled cancer in his later years and became a public advocate for research and treatment.
© Bettmann ArchiveJohn died on June 11, 1979, at age 72, from stomach cancer. Today, his estate – still managed by his family – oversees his film legacy, merchandise, and charitable initiatives, ensuring "The Duke" remains a towering figure of mid-century Hollywood.
Marilyn Monroe
© Michael Ochs ArchivesNo star captured the world's imagination quite like Marilyn Monroe. Bursting with charisma in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot, she redefined the screen siren with a mix of innocence, wit and vulnerability that remains unmatched.
Determined to be taken seriously, Marilyn studied at the Actors Studio and launched her own production company. She understood the power of her image better than anyone – famously telling Marie Claire in a 1960 interview that she wore "just a few drops of Chanel No. 5" to bed, a line that helped turn the fragrance into a global legend.
© Getty ImagesHer personal life told a different story: she married three times, to James Dougherty, then baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, and lastly playwright Arthur Miller – and struggled with mental health, infertility, and intense media scrutiny.
Marilyn died on August 4, 1962, aged just 36, from a barbiturate overdose ruled a probable suicide, though her death remains the subject of fascination and speculation. Despite her brief life, she remains one of cinema's most enduring icons, with her image, films and cultural impact still celebrated worldwide. She once described fame as "like caviar – good to have, but not at every meal." It’s sad that the world decided to serve her fame 24/7, unfortunately.
Audrey Hepburn
© Getty ImagesElegance found its embodiment in Audrey Hepburn. Her star-making role in Roman Holiday earned her an Oscar, and she followed with a string of beloved classics – Sabrina, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady and Charade, blending elegance and vulnerability in a way that reshaped on-screen femininity.
Audrey was married twice – first to actor Mel Ferrer, then to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti – and had two sons, Sean and Luca. By the late 1960s she had stepped back from acting, devoting much of her later life to humanitarian work. A true class act, on-screen and off.
Swipe to see Audrey Hepburn's looks over the years...
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Her work with UNICEF was deeply personal and significant. "I was in Holland during the war, during the German occupation," she shared in 1988 when she took on the role of Goodwill Ambassador. "The last winter was the worst of all. Food was scarce and whatever there was went to the troops. I can testify what UNICEF means to children because I was among those who received food and medical relief right after World War II."
Audrey passed away on January 20, 1993, aged 63, from cancer. Today, her legacy lives on through her films, her fashion influence, and the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund, which is managed by her sons. What an incredible legacy she has left, both on and off-screen.
James Dean
© Corbis via Getty ImagesDespite starring in only three major films: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, James Dean – with his leather jacket and cheekbones to die for – became a symbol of youthful rebellion. His intense performances and brooding charisma defined a generation of moviegoers and earned him two posthumous Oscar nominations for Best Actor.
Off screen, he lived fast – racing cars competitively, often courting danger, and maintaining famously complicated relationships. Tragically, James died on September 30, 1955, at just 24, in a head-on collision near Cholame, California, while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder.
© Getty ImagesHis death cemented his legend, and he remains one of the most analysed and mythologised actors in American cinema. Though his career was short, his impact on film acting, youth culture and Hollywood mythology is still profound. To think he received two nominations and only ever appeared in three films – it makes me wonder what he could have achieved had he lived a longer life.
Elizabeth Taylor
© Bettmann ArchiveElizabeth Taylor's ascent from MGM child actress to Hollywood powerhouse remains one of cinema's greatest transformations. Her screen roles during the 1950s and '60s include A Place in the Sun, Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly, Last Summer, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the latter earning her a second Best Actress Oscar.
© Bettmann ArchiveHer dramatic personal life was legendary: she was married eight times to seven men, including two marriages to fellow actor Richard Burton. She had four children and remained a devoted mother despite the whirlwind of fame.
Elizabeth later became a major activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS, co-founding amfAR and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. She died on March 23, 2011, aged 79, from congestive heart failure. Whether conquering the box office or championing the fight against HIV/AIDS, she proved she could be a force of nature in every act of her life. Personally, I think she was the original master of the celebrity comeback, reinventing herself more times than Madonna – and always on her own terms.
Grace Kelly
© Getty ImagesAnother Hollywood icon, Grace Kelly's career was brief but dazzling. She starred in High Noon, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief and The Country Girl, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for the latter in 1955. At the height of her fame, she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco, becoming Princess Grace and largely retiring from acting.
© Bettmann ArchiveShe had three children – Caroline, Albert (now Monaco's reigning monarch), and Stéphanie – and dedicated her life to philanthropy, arts patronage and charitable work in Monaco. Despite her successful acting career and marriage to a prince, she said her life wasn't as rosy as people might think in an interview with People. "I certainly don't think of my life as a fairy tale," she said. "I think of myself as a modern, contemporary woman who has had to deal with all kinds of problems that many women today have to deal with." So honest – and spoken like a true legend.
© Getty ImagesOn September 14, 1982, Grace died tragically at age 52 following a stroke that caused her to crash her car. Her youngest daughter Stéphanie was in the car with her the evening of the fatal crash, but didn't speak about the accident for several years. Despite her untimely death, Grace's elegance, mystique and cinematic legacy live on, and she remains one of Hollywood's most enduring style icons.
Rock Hudson
© Getty ImagesOne of the 1950s' most bankable leading men, Rock Hudson starred in Douglas Sirk's melodramas (Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows), epics like Giant (earning him an Oscar nomination), and later on, romantic comedies with Doris Day. Although he projected the image of the ideal American leading man, Rock lived privately as a gay man in an era when it was dangerous to be open.
Rock was only married once, to Phyllis Gates, in a studio-arranged union that ended in divorce. In 1985, he became the first major celebrity to publicly acknowledge having AIDS, transforming global awareness of the crisis. It was a brave move: the man who embodied the perfect 'straight' leading man became a reluctant, yet monumental, pioneer for visibility.
© Getty ImagesIn one of his final interviews, Rock waxed philosophical about the end of his life. "I don’t want to think about the final curtain but take destiny as it comes without wasting time in vain expectations," he said. "I stay away from planning and projecting or dwelling on the future. I love to enjoy the present and watch life progress and unfold." What an incredible philosophy to have on life.
Rock died on October 2, 1985, at age 59. His courage in his final years is now seen as a pivotal moment in destigmatising the disease.
Frank Sinatra
© Bettmann ArchiveFrank Sinatra could reinvent himself like no other. Crooner. Actor. Showman. Cultural titan. His Oscar-winning performance in From Here to Eternity ushered in a rich film career that included The Man with the Golden Arm, Guys and Dolls, High Society and Pal Joey.
© Bettmann ArchiveFrank was married four times, including having high-profile unions with actresses Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow, and had three children, all of whom entered show business in some form. He performed into his late 70s before retiring.
© Getty ImagesFrank passed away on May 14, 1998, aged 82, from a heart attack. His manager, Tony Oppedisano and wife Barbara were by his side, with Tony telling The Mirror: "I sat by him and held his hand, trying to keep him calm. "He just looked up at the two of us and said curtly: ''I'm losing'". Even at the end, Ol’ Blue Eyes knew how to break hearts.
Sophia Loren
© Getty ImagesItalian screen siren Sophia Loren became one of Europe's greatest stars and a major Hollywood leading lady, known for movies such as Houseboat, El Cid, Marriage Italian Style and Arabesque. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Two Women – the first major Academy Award for a foreign-language performance – and earned another nomination for her role in Marriage Italian Style.
© Getty ImagesSophia married film producer Carlo Ponti in 1966 – after years of legal complications involving annulments and citizenship – and they remained together until his death. They had two sons, Carlo Jr. and Edoardo. In 1982, while in Italy, she made headlines after serving 17 days in prison on tax evasion charges. Sophia said her accountant had made a mistake on her tax return, regardless, the incident did not hamper her popularity or career. Let's face it, a stint behind bars was never going to slow her down.
© Getty ImagesSophia largely stepped back from acting in the 1990s but has made occasional returns, including Netflix's The Life Ahead (2020). Now 91, she is still celebrated for her enduring beauty, charm and cinema legacy. Awards and nominations aside, who could forget her iconic, seductive striptease opposite Marcello Mastroianni in Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow? Pure cinematic fire.
Charlton Heston
© Corbis via Getty ImagesVeteran actor Charlton Heston became synonymous with historical epics, starring in The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, El Cid, The Big Country and The Greatest Show on Earth. His role in Ben-Hur earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor and solidified his place among Hollywood's most commanding leading men.
But while he defined Biblical epics like Ben-Hur, his true Hollywood legacy might be proving he could swap the chariot for a convenience store in a legendary, self-aware cameo in Wayne's World 2. If you haven't seen it, run, don’t walk.
© Getty ImagesCharlton married his college sweetheart, Lydia Clarke, in 1944. They remained married for 64 years until his death in 2008. The couple had two children together. Later in life, he became politically active, serving as president of the NRA and advocating for free speech and gun rights – an evolution that made him a complex and sometimes controversial figure. He announced he had Alzheimer's disease in 2002 and died on six years later, aged 84.
Doris Day
© Getty ImagesAmerica's sweetheart Doris Day was known for her sunny screen presence and melodic voice. She starred in major 1950s and '60s hits such as Calamity Jane, Pillow Talk, The Man Who Knew Too Much and Move Over, Darling. She earned an Oscar nomination for Pillow Talk and became one of Hollywood's top box-office draws. A ray of sunshine, always.
© Getty ImagesDoris married four times, though her relationships were often reportedly difficult or financially damaging. Her third husband, Marty Melcher, notoriously mismanaged millions of dollars that she had earned through their marriage, leading her to successfully sue his lawyer after Marty’s death.
She had one son, music producer Terry Melcher, who pre-deceased her in 2004. After retiring from acting, Doris devoted herself to animal welfare, founding the Doris Day Animal Foundation. That's retirement goals right there. She lived a private, quiet life in Carmel, California, up until her death on May 13, 2019, at age 97.
Tony Curtis
© Getty ImagesTony Curtis became a major heartthrob thanks to his good looks and charm, starring in Some Like It Hot, Sweet Smell of Success, Spartacus, Houdini and The Defiant Ones, the latter earning him an Oscar nomination. In the 1950s he was one of Universal's top stars, known for both dramatic and comic range.
© Donaldson CollectionTony married six times, most famously to Janet Leigh; together they had two daughters, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis. He had six children in total. Tony struggled with addiction in the 1970s but reinvented himself as a respected painter later in life. Talk about a successful second act.
© Getty ImagesHe died on September 29, 2010, aged 85, from cardiac arrest. His legacy endures thanks to his classic films and his famous Hollywood family.
Debbie Reynolds
© Getty ImagesDebbie Reynolds danced her way into film history with Singin' in the Rain in 1952 – remarkably, without any prior dance or singing training. Her later roles in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (which earned her an Oscar nomination), Tammy and the Bachelor, The Tender Trap and How the West Was Won cemented her reputation as a triple-threat talent with unstoppable charm.
© Getty ImagesKnown for her resilience and humour, Debbie navigated major financial setbacks – including her first husband Eddie Fisher's betrayal and the loss of her hotel business – with remarkable grace. She married three times and had two children, Todd Fisher and beloved Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher. Surviving massive financial setbacks and personal drama while keeping her star shining bright? In my opinion she was the definition of an unsinkable Hollywood legend.
© Getty ImagesDebbie died on December 28, 2016, aged 84, just one day after the death of her daughter Carrie. The double tragedy really rocked Hollywood, but Debbie is still cherished as one of its brightest, most indefatigable stars.
Sidney Poitier
© AFP via Getty ImagesBreaking racial barriers in Hollywood, Sidney Poitier became the first African-American actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, which he received for his role in the 1963 movie Lilies of the Field. In his 50 years in film, he has starred in and directed more than three dozen movies.
His 1950s rise included The Defiant Ones, Blackboard Jungle and Porgy and Bess. In the 1960s he became a symbol of dignity and progress with hits like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night and To Sir, With Love.
© Getty ImagesIn a frank interview with Oprah, Sidney talked about the responsibility he felt to blaze a trail for others. "So much was riding on me as one of the first blacks out there," he said. "It's been an enormous responsibility. And I accepted it, and I lived in a way that showed how I respected that responsibility. I had to. In order for others to come behind me, there were certain things I had to do." Wow, that’s a lot of pressure, but what a legacy.
© Getty ImagesSidney married twice and had six daughters, including actress Sydney Tamiia Poitier. He later served as the Bahamas' ambassador to Japan from 1997 to 2007 – from screen icon to global diplomat – an incredible transformation. He also continued writing, directing and speaking publicly about civil rights. He died on January 6, 2022, aged 94, from heart failure. His legacy as a trailblazer remains unmatched.
Kim Novak
© Getty ImagesBecoming Columbia Pictures' top star in the 1950s, Kim Novak achieved cinematic immortality through Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Her other notable films include Picnic, Bell, Book and Candle, Pal Joey and The Man with the Golden Arm. Known for her ethereal beauty and enigmatic presence, Kim struggled with Hollywood’s pressures and chose to retreat from the industry in the 1960s.
© Getty ImagesShe was married twice – first briefly to actor Richard Johnson, then to equine veterinarian Robert Malloy, with whom she stayed married for more than 40 years until his death. As of 2025, she is in her 90s, living a peaceful life in Oregon, focusing on painting and occasionally appearing at film retrospectives celebrating her work.
© Corbis via Getty Images"I never wear a watch, so I have no sense of how time is passing, other than the fact that I'm productive and taking time to put down, in images, all the things I've experienced," she said in an interview with People in 2023, describing a typical day where she paints and spends time with her dogs and horse, Poet. I'm not going to lie, that sounds like a pretty perfect life to me.
"I think it opens up a whole new avenue of me after I'm gone which I find exciting," she added. "To think that I'm going to live on through my art, and hopefully through movies, of course. It gives me a purpose."
