Nancy Olson’s first Oscar nomination did the unexpected to her. At 22, Olson came into the limelight through her role as Betty Schaefer in Sunset Boulevard. Her performance was interesting and exceptional, but after being nominated, the young actress noticed things she had never seen in Hollywood.
On an episode of The Hollywood Reporter It Happened in Hollywood podcast, Nancy Olson, now 96, reflected on the movie and how it influenced her decision to stay away from Hollywood. She recalled the excitement of being nominated and the promise of a bright future that accompanied it, which she would learn was just a mask for the reality in the industry.
Nancy Olson’s first Oscar nomination
Nancy Olson was born to a doctor from the Midwest, and she cherished being among family more than being a star. Acting in Sunset Boulevard made her interests even clearer. It revealed to her that the movie industry treated its actors as products and “they were made bigger than their reality” but isolated once their time had passed.
She was first nominated for an Oscar after starring in Sunset Boulevard in 1950. However, the actress discovered too soon that most stars in Hollywood were often unfulfilled later in life. They were seen on the screen as incredible people with a great personal life, yet behind the scenes, they “were sad creatures.”
Olson revealed that she was aware of the possibility of not winning the Oscar award. However, what baffled her more was that even though the movie was nominated for twenty-two categories, it only won three. And even when movies awarded in the same category have lost their relevance today, Sunset Boulevard has not.
Leaving Hollywood
Gradually, Nancy Olson reduced her interest in acting and focused more on relationships. She married Broadway lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and later Alan W. Livingston, living the kind of family life she had always desired. “I do not want to be a movie star,” she acknowledged.
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In her 2022 memoir, A Front Row Seat: An Intimate Look at Broadway, Hollywood, and the Age of Glamour, Nancy Olson wrote about these reflections, detailing her experiences and the reasons she retired from acting.