How Ruth Gordon went from a meddlesome neighbor in Rosemary's Baby to an Oscar winner
How one role changed Gordon's life.
While horror fans may primarily remember an actor like Ruth Gordon from the 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby, it’s important to note that Gordon was a woman of many talents. Not just an actor, Gordon worked as both a novelist and screenwriter.
During an interview with the Daily News, Gordon confessed that as a young woman, her family tried to dissuade her from becoming an actor. “There were only stage actresses in those days,” said Gordon. "They were all tall and pretty. I was barely five feet tall and nothing to look at.”
Of course, Gordon made a name for herself in cinema as an actor. This, coupled with her work behind the scenes, cemented her power as a figure in the entertainment industry. “I’m a shining example of don’t give up,” the actor said.
By the late 60s, Gordon would win an Oscar for her role as the ominous neighbor, Minnie Castevet, in Rosemary’s Baby. The victory made the actor recall a valuable lesson she learned with fellow actor Spencer Tracy. “Once I was with Spencer and some other friends on the Riviera,” said Gordon. “We were staying at a beautiful chateau…Spencer was floating in that blue Mediterranean water with his face up to catch the sun. I said, ‘Oh, Spence, isn’t this wonderful? and he said, ‘It’s no more than what I deserve.’”
Tracy’s confidence was contagious; it reminded Gordon that she had worked hard for her victories.
“When I think of all the times we were out of work, when the plays folded, and the phone didn’t ring, I know what Spencer meant. That’s what I should have said when I got my Oscar: ‘It’s no more than what I deserve.’”
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