Goldie Jeanne Hawn
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Goldie Hawn won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1969 for her role in Cactus Flower. She became a Hollywood star in comedies like Private Benjamin 1980 and The First Wives Club 1996. Her relationship with Kurt Russell since 1983 is one of Hollywood’s longest-lasting partnerships. She has three children, including actress Kate Hudson, and eight grandchildren.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Goldie Hawn — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Goldie Hawn by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Goldie Hawn — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
At age ten, Goldie Hawn danced in the chorus of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo production of The Nutcracker. She was born November 21, 1945 in Washington, D.C., and raised in Takoma Park, Maryland, by her mother Laura, who owned a dance school, and her father Rut, a band musician. By age 19 she was running her own ballet school after leaving American University, where she majored in drama, having begun ballet and tap lessons at age three.
Goldie Hawn made her feature film debut in 1968’s The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band as a giggling dancer. Her breakout role came in 1969 opposite Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman in Cactus Flower, earning her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She followed with successes like There’s a Girl in My Soup 1970, Shampoo 1975, and Private Benjamin 1980, which she also produced. In 1987 she starred with boyfriend Kurt Russell in Overboard, and later appeared in Death Becomes Her 1992 and The First Wives Club 1996. She also starred in the Woody Allen film Everyone Says I Love You 1996.
Goldie Hawn has been married twice: to dancer/director Gus Trikonis from 1969 to 1973, and to musician Bill Hudson from 1976 to 1980. She has three children: son Oliver Hudson born 1976 and daughter Kate Hudson born 1979 with Hudson, and son Wyatt Russell born 1986 with longtime partner Kurt Russell. Since 1983 she has been in a relationship with Russell, making them Hollywood’s longest-lasting unmarried couple. She is also a de facto stepmother to Russell’s son Boston.
Goldie Hawn’s Oscar-winning performance in Cactus Flower established her as a versatile comedic actress. Her role as Judy Benjamin in Private Benjamin was ranked #70 on Premiere’s 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. In 2003 she founded the Goldie Hawn Foundation’s MindUP program, helping children manage emotions. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an honor from the American Museum of the Moving Image mark her achievements. She is remembered for her bubbly comedic style and for advancing women in comedy.
The complete filmography of Goldie Hawn — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Goldie Hawn — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
Goldie Hawn's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
A wall of memorable lines from Goldie Hawn — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
Men Are Much Simpler Mechanisms Than Women. Nothing Changes Them… Even When They Have a Midlife Crisis, They Do It in a Mindless Way… That’s Why I Think We Should Let Men Go off and Have Affairs and Drive Fast Cars and Dream of Being Virile – and We Should Run the World.
We Can’t Hold on to Our Youth, but What You Can Hang on to Is All the Things We’ve Been Told a Zillion Times: You Have to Find the Light in Your Life That You Had When You Were a Little Girl or Little Guy That Made You Happy.
Oh, I Don’t Think of Myself as a Buddhist. I Was Born Jewish, and Consider That My Religion.
A Rested Face Is a Beautiful Face. However You Can, Find Your Place of Rest and Peace.
Peter Sellers Was Great to Work With. a Lovely Man. a Little Bit Crazy in That He – You Know, as I Say, It Was Hard. It Was Sort of Balancing a Very Delicate Spirit on a Needle. You Know, Because You Never Know Where He Was Going.But I Gave Him a Birthday Party Once, and He Said to Me, You Know, Goldie, I’ll Never Have a Home Like This. I’ll Never Have a House Like This, and I Would Like a Piece of Me in Your Home. and He Sent Me a French Armoire, and I Still Have It. That Was After He Ate His Birthday Candle, Which Is a Whole Other Problem.
It’s Wonderful to Move Forward Technologically, but We Cannot Forget That We Are Human Beings Who Thrive on Relationships, Who Thrive on Interconnectivity, Who Thrive on Sharing Your Feelings and Emotions.
I Noted That People Are Happy Here in India. When I Went Back Home, People Had Everything in the Materialistic Sense and Were Surrounded with Abundance, but They Were Not Happy.
Society, Honestly, Hasn’t Tempted Me to Do Very Much.
I Am Compelled to Continuously See the Bright Side. It Is in My DNA. My Kids Look at Me and Say: ‘Mom, You’re so Happy!’ and I Do Feel Happy. I Feel Joyful Inside. I Can’t Explain It.
I’ve Been Practicing Modalities of Eastern Philosophy Since About 1972. What I’ve Learned Through My Meditation Is a Sense of Equanimity, a Sense of All Things Being Equal.
I Have a Light Personality and a Deep-thinking Brain. Those Are Two Very Different Things.
Even During the Days When I Could Have Gotten Myself into Some Fine Trouble, I Was a Good Girl. I Was a Little Worker Bee. I Was Dancing and Working from the Age of 18. I Did Dance in Rock Clubs, but I Made Money at It. I Treated It Like a Job and Just Went Home. It’s so Hilarious That I Embodied the Whole Idea of This Free-spirit Laugh-In Girl, but I Was Really Very Conservative.
The Russians Are the Most Hospitable People in the World, and They Would Feed You Even If They Had to Go Hungry Themselves.
I’m a Woman Who Was Raised to Believe That You Are Not Complete Unless You Have a Man. Well, in Some Ways It’s True. I Am a Feminist to a Point. but I’m Not Going to Deny the Fact That I Love to Be with Men.
If You Don’t Like Yourself Then You’re Really Gonna Be Angry with People When They Say They Love You. so It’s Best You Love Yourself First so Then You Can Honor Their Love.
Marriage Ends up Being a Business Deal Because at the End of a Marriage, No Matter How Long or Short It Is, Somebody Owes Somebody Money. and I Was on the Short End of the Stick on That One. so I Look at That and I Thought, Well This Is Ridiculous! This Kind of Thing When You’re Together Two, Three, Four, Even Five Years – It’s an Inappropriate Amount of Money You Have to Pay. It’s Ridiculous to Base Your Relationship on Money.
My Life Is Not Dictated by Outside Perception. It’s Only Dictated by the Things I Choose to Do.
My Career Has Been a Very Odd One. It’s Never Been a Career About Romance, or Playing the Girl Dependent on the Man. I Always Played Certain Characters, Kooky, Quirky or Strange. so I’m Lucky That Way. Looking Back on Who That Person Was, It’s Odd, Because I’m Not Like That Anymore. but I Identify with Her Very Much, Because That’s Who I Was.
The Great Doris Day Left Us and Took a Piece of the Sun with Her. She Brightened Our Lives and Lived Out Her Life with Dignity. May She Rest Peacefully.
Little-known facts about Goldie Hawn — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Has three children: son Oliver Hudson b. September 7, 1976 and daughter Kate Hudson b. April 19, 1979 with ex-husband Bill Hudson and son Wyatt Russell b. July 10, 1986 with boyfriend Kurt Russell.
Her name Goldie is real; she was named after her aunt.
Her first entertainment gig was performing in The Nutcracker at age 11, earning $1.50.
Amy Schumer lured her out of self-imposed retirement to co-star in Snatched 2017, despite Fox’s reluctance because Hawn hadn’t acted in 15 years.
In January 1985, at age 39, she posed for the cover of Playboy.
She and longtime boyfriend Kurt Russell appeared together in five films: The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band 1968, Swing Shift 1984, Overboard 1987, The Christmas Chronicles 2018 and The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two 2020.
Good friends with Sally Field.
Her performance as Judy Benjamin in Private Benjamin 1980 is ranked #70 on Premiere magazine’s 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Had a traumatic natural birth with her son Oliver Hudson, leading to elective Caesarean sections for her other children, Kate Hudson and Wyatt Russell.
Contrary to popular belief, her family name was never shortened from Studlendgehawn; census records show the surname Hawn, Hahn, or Haun for her direct ancestors.
Drives the present owners of her childhood home in Maryland crazy by appearing whenever she wants.
Has eight grandchildren: Ryder Robinson, Wilder Hudson, Bodhi Hudson, Rio Hudson, Bingham Bellamy, Rani Fujikawa, Buddy Russell, and Boone Russell.
Is an accomplished ballet dancer.
Has a de facto stepson: Boston Russell b. February 16, 1980 with boyfriend Kurt Russell.
Aged 19, working as a dancer at the New York World’s Fair, she was set up with cartoonist Al Capp, who exposed himself after she declined his advances.
Richard Donner wanted her for the role of Eve Teschmacher in Superman 1978 but her $2 million salary demand was deemed unreasonable.
She and Kurt Russell are Hollywood’s longest-lasting unmarried couple.
Gave the commencement address at her alma mater, American University, in 2002.
Has been dating Kurt Russell since February 14, 1983.
Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6201 Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood, Calif.
Chosen by Empire Magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history #71.
Often reported as a descendant of Declaration of Independence signer Edward Rutledge, but genealogical research shows the line leads to Joseph Rutledge.
On August 9, 2020, she was honored with a day of her filmography during Turner Classic Movies Summer Under the Stars.
First woman honored by the American Museum of the Moving Image.
Owns homes in Vancouver, Pacific Palisades, Palm Desert, and Snowmass Village.
Her father had German and English ancestry; her maternal grandparents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants.
After The First Wives Club 1996, she, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton planned films together Avon Ladies of the Amazon and Divanation that never materialized.
Considers her role as Lou Jean Poplin in The Sugarland Express 1974 her finest onscreen work.
Started Cosmic Entertainment with Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson, and Oliver Hudson in 2003.
Returned to work eight months after giving birth to Kate Hudson to begin filming Private Benjamin 1980.
Describes herself as a Jew-Bu Jewish Buddhist.
Founder of the Bright Light Foundation for Children.
Born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland.
In 1970, she sued for invasion of privacy over a poster of her eating a potato chip; she won $3,000 in damages.
Lived with Swedish actor Bruno Wintzell from 1973 to 1975; internet claims of marriage are false.
Turned down roles in The Day of the Locust 1975, Family Plot 1976, Pretty Baby 1978, Kramer vs. Kramer 1979, The Main Event 1979, Atlantic City 1980, Making Love 1982, and Big Business 1988.
Published her autobiography A Lotus Grows in the Mud in 2005.
Awarded honorary degree from Loyola Marymount University after delivering the 2004 Commencement address.
Discovered by talent agent Bud Simon while dancing on Andy Griffith’s TV special.
Cast mate Judy Carne on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In reportedly started using heroin out of jealousy over Hawn.
Recorded a self-titled pop-country LP for Warner Bros. in 1972, produced with help from Dolly Parton and Buck Owens; it failed to chart.
Founded the Goldie Hawn Foundation and its MindUP program in 2003 to help children regulate emotions.
Sister of Patti Hawn; older brother Edward died of SIDS in 1937.
Returned to work nine months after giving birth to Wyatt Russell to film Overboard 1987.
Daughter of Rut Hawn and Laura Hawn.
Planned to direct and star with Kurt Russell in Ashes to Ashes, a comedy about losing a spouse’s ashes in India; the project stalled.
Was replaced by Shelley Long in Dr. T & the Women 2000.
Originally cast in This Is Where I Leave You 2014 but dropped out due to delays; replaced by Jane Fonda.
Plays a former rock-star groupie in The Banger Sisters 2002; her daughter Kate Hudson plays a young groupie in Almost Famous 2000.
Biography in Who’s Who in Comedy by Ronald L. Smith, 1992.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Goldie Hawn.
Celebrities similar to Goldie Hawn — same craft, ranked by reach.
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