Biographies: Esther Williams - Actor

Biographies

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An American actress, born in Englewood, California, on August 8, 1921. Esther Williams was an American champion in the 100-meter freestyle swimming for three consecutive years and almost represented her country in the Olympic Games, had it not been for the outbreak of WWII in 1940. She was discovered by MGM when she was working in a supermarket in Los Angeles. Her first film was Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942), which she followed with musicals. Because she appeared in a large number of films that featured synchronized swimming and diving, Williams was dubbed the American Mermaid. In the mid-fifties, Esther played dramatic roles in films such as The Unguarded Moment (1956) and The Big Show (1961), after which she moved away from the screen and devoted herself to her project in the production of swimwear and the construction of swimming pools and aquariums. Esther Williams was an advisor to the International Olympic Committee at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 1984. Among her most notable films are On the Island with You (1948), and Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949). She received a star on the Walk of Fame in 1960. Esther Williams died on June 6, 2013, in Beverly Hills, California.