Who Knew the Old Lady From Titanic Was Such a Beautiful Actress Once?

Gloria Stuart is a name that will forever be remembered in Hollywood history as the old lady from Titanic, but did you know that she was once a young and stunning beauty?

Stuart may have played the role of Old Lady Rose in James Cameron 's 1997 blockbuster, but she actually started her acting career in the 1930s with a horror film called The Old Dark House.

However, Stuart didn't necessarily enjoy her time in the film industry. "When I graduated high school, everyone said I was going to be successful. But I had no idea how long I would have to wait," she admitted.

Stuart went on to say that she "hated everything" about her time in film, and couldn't stand playing "nice girls" or the "primitive" roles that were often offered to her. Instead, she preferred to take on more complex and challenging roles in the theater, where she played heroines in plays by Shakespeare and Chekhov.

Eventually, Stuart decided to leave the film industry altogether, feeling that actresses were treated "as trash." She turned her attention to other creative pursuits like decoupage art, primitive painting, and even bonsai.

It wasn't until the 1990s, when Stuart was in her 80s and largely forgotten as an actress, that she was approached by James Cameron to play the role of an elderly Rose in Titanic.

"I knew right away that the movie was going to be great. It was the role I had been waiting for all my life," Stuart said of the opportunity.

Her performance in Titanic earned Stuart an Oscar nomination and brought her newfound fame at the age of 87.

In a way, her own life mirrored that of her character's, as she lived to be 100 years old before passing away in 2010. So the next time you think of Gloria Stuart, remember that she was not only the old lady from Titanic, but also a talented actress and artist who had a long and varied career.