I'm fascinated by beauties with incredibly humble beginnings. Folks 'discovered' on reality tv just don't have the same bite as an impoverished child that watches their own father get sick and die, has only a grade school education, and makes ends meet by preparing men's faces to be shaved at the local barbershop.
That was Greta Garbo. WAY, Way, way back in the day, she starred in silent movies. She kind of paved the way for model-turned-actress types. Although in her case, she was actually an extremely gifted actress.
When Garbo finally got a talkie, she was highly successful and critically praised for her work. And wouldn't you know, that just as the press and Hollywood can spin a positive into a negative today, apparently they had plenty of practice back then.
Garbo was reportedly a major recluse and will forever be known for uttering the phrase, "I want to be alone."
Or did she?
Another article quotes Garbo as saying she never said that. She said, "I want to be LET alone." Big difference.
Regardless, from humble beginnings, she emerged a diva. Garbo commanded huge sums of money and was able to pick and choose her roles in an era where strong women were jaw-dropping exceptions and not the rule. In other words, she didn't lose any sleep over the misquote.
Interesting how the answer to what is beauty changes from generation to generation. By today's standards, her thin lips were unacceptable and would need unnatural plumping with collagen and fillers.
But in my humble opinion, Garbo's thin lips and style made her stunning. She wrote the book on the whole diva-hiding-behind-huge-sunglasses look.
She had looks, talent and humble beginnings. Once you throw in an infamous misquote, it's all the ingredients of a true diva destiny! All hail Greta "I-want-to-be-LET-alone" Garbo!
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