Sarah Bernhardt was perhaps the most acclaimed actress of the 19th century. She was known for her charismatic, sensual and highly melodramatic performances in classical plays.
Sarah was the illegitimate daughter of a Dutch courtesan (the identity of her father is uncertain). As with many illegitimate girls she was raised in boarding schools and convents. When she was 16, she entered a government-sponsored school of acting. She was not considered a particularly promising student at all. However she proved what she could become — a notable actress of the time.
Sarah was crippled by a knee injury in 1905. The injury continued to trouble her and in 1915 her leg was amputated. She continued to perform from a chair until her death from kidney failure in 1923. That was the spirit of this daring woman for whom acting was her first love. Her heroic effort was greatly appreciated by her fans.
Known as the Divine Sarah, Bernhardt was much more than a stage personality. She was also a painter, sculptor and writer, as well as a savvy businesswoman who ran her own theatres and produced her own plays.
Sarah reminds, “To be a good actor, it is necessary to resume each minute the laborious task that has barely just been finished.” In other words, quitters never succeed
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