Trivia

Turned down a marriage proposal from Winston Churchill because she thought he didn't have much of a future.

Great-aunt of Drew Barrymore.

She and Lionel Barrymore were the first Oscar-winning brother and sister in the acting category.

Raised Roman Catholic (along with her brothers) after her mother converted under the influence of legendary Polish actress Helena Modjeweska. Ethel was the only sibling to remain devout, and she never remarried after her divorce (divorce being forbidden to Catholics at the time).

Returned to work one month after giving birth to her son Samuel Colt in order to begin performing in the Broadway production of "Tante".

Her character dies in three of her four movies that saw her Oscar-nominated.

She had a long-standing feud with gossip columnist Walter Winchell, especially after he pointed out that she she had made a not "so hot" screen test at Paramount in 1930 and would not be making any pictures for the studio.

The three Barrymore siblings--Ethel, Lionel Barrymore and John Barrymore--appeared in only one film together: Rasputin and the Empress (1932). A decade after John's demise, Lionel and Ethel appeared in Main Street to Broadway (1953), which incidentally was Lionel's last film.

Daughter of Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Barrymore; granddaughter of Louisa Drew and stage actor John Drew (1827-1862); niece of Sidney Drew; cousin of S. Rankin Drew.

In 1951 she accepted the Oscar for best actress in a leading role on behalf of Judy Holliday, who wasn't present at the awards ceremony.

Was the 23rd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for None But the Lonely Heart (1944) at The 17th Academy Awards on March 15, 1945.

Aunt of John Drew Barrymore and Diana Barrymore.

"Actresses of a Certain Character: Forty Familiar Hollywood Faces from the Thirties to the Fifties" by Axel Nissen has a short biography of her, focusing on her movie career as a character actress.

Mother of Samuel Colt, Ethel Colt, and John Drew Colt.

She and her brother Lionel are the only brother and sister Oscar winners.

In her most important films her character was often that of a sick woman, sometimes in bed about to die.

Screen, stage and television actress.

Had one grandchild; John Drew Miglietta (b. September 10, 1946) via daughter Ethel Colt.

In Italy she was often dubbed by Giovanna Scotto (The Spiral Staircase (1946) and The Paradine Case (1947)), Tina Lattanzi (Pinky (1949)) and Lola Braccini. She was once dubbed by Wanda Capodaglio in Moonrise (1948).