This '50s Beauty Was Banned from Hollywood for 12 Years & Found Love with a Younger Husband – Story & Photos

From the Broadway stage to Hollywood, this actress was once hailed as one of the most promising stars of her generation. But what makes her story remarkable isn’t just her early success—it’s the way she overcame a decade-long exile to build an extraordinary legacy in film and beyond.

The McCarthy-era blacklist of the late 1940s and 1950s destroyed countless careers, including that of a rising actress who had only begun to leave her mark on Hollywood. At the height of her success, she was cast aside, not because of anything she did, but because of her connection to the man she loved.

Her name became unwelcome in film and television circles for more than ten years, yet she refused to disappear into obscurity. When she finally returned, she picked up the pieces of her profession and soared to new heights. During this journey, she also found love with someone who has remained by her side for decades.

The Hollywood Blacklist: 12 Years of Silence

In 1951, her standout performance in "Detective Story" brought critical praise and placed her among the industry’s most admired newcomers.

However, her marriage to Arnold Manoff—a screenwriter blacklisted over alleged Communist connections—would abruptly halt her rising career.

Refusing to cooperate with authorities or name names, she faced severe repercussions for upholding her convictions. For twelve years, no film or television roles were available to her, and her promising career lay in ruins.

Reflecting on that era many years later, she did not waver in her stance, remarking, "I certainly was not going to give names in order to work in film or television." The challenges extended into her personal life as well.

Manoff, whom she married in 1951, was controlling and dismissive of her professional goals. In his view, she was more of a caretaker for his two children from a previous relationship than a true partner. He belittled her and insisted she remain at home.

Though the blacklist severely limited her opportunities in Hollywood, she also refused to be confined at home. When she got a small acting gig in upstate New York after their daughter was born, he threatened to leave if she accepted it.

Determined to stand up for herself, she took the job, choosing her freedom instead of staying in a stifling household. The pair divorced in 1960. Years later, she opened up in an interview about why she hadn’t left him sooner.

"I'll tell you the truth. I'd be in a sanitarium for the rest of my life if I hadn't had that order of, 'Either you do this or we're through.' Because I'd never have left him," she admitted. "If he hadn't said, 'You can't take this job,' I would never have gotten up the courage to leave."

Knowing she needed to support herself and her child, she got ready to step back into the spotlight. Little by little, Hollywood’s blacklist was losing strength, and she embraced the chance to reclaim her career.

A Resilient Comeback and Hollywood Success

In 1965, she returned to the limelight through a role in the television show "Peyton Place." Her portrayal of Stella Chernak resonated so powerfully that she received an Emmy Award, marking her triumphant reentry to Hollywood.

Her performance in that role reignited her momentum, leading to a variety of standout film roles. Among these were her acclaimed turns in "The Landlord" (1970) and "Voyage of the Damned" (1976), both bringing her Oscar nominations.

Then, in 1975, she secured an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress with her memorable work in the cult favorite "Shampoo," starring alongside Warren Beatty.

Reflecting on her part in the film, she credited her ability to dig deep into complex characters—an approach she honed during her prolonged absence from Hollywood.

Her return to the spotlight involved more than acting. She stepped into documentary filmmaking, tackling pressing social topics such as homelessness, discrimination, and women’s rights. These projects established her prominence as both an actor and a director, while her personal life went through its own transformation.

Finding Love with a Younger Husband

During her career comeback, she experienced a type of love she’d never known before. She met Joe Feury, a man a dozen years younger, whose gentle, open-hearted outlook contrasted sharply with the control of her first husband.

"This really cute boy, and so dear, and so in love. A working-class Italian non-intellectual. It was like the biggest nourishment I could’ve had," she remembered about that time.

Her relationship with Feury, whom she married in 1962, offered the sense of stability and backing that she’d gone without early in her Hollywood life.

In contrast to her difficult first marriage, her new partner treated her with respect and warmth. His devotion provided the steady anchor she needed, through the bright spots and the darker chapters of her career.

Even as the years slipped by, their closeness never faltered. Looking back on their later life together, she wrote, "Joey, now 74, wakes up and takes my hand. He doesn't want to lose me.[...] We both run from the inevitable. We're so, well, alive, we're so young…"

As their bond flourished, she also took a stance against another Hollywood norm—she refused to withdraw as she aged, continuing to inspire admiration with her vitality and grace.

Defying Time and Embracing a Legacy

In an industry where aging can end a performer’s career, she took control of her own future. She underwent a facelift in her 30s to extend her time on the screen.

"I was at a desperate place in my life," she shared, candidly noting that it boosted her self-image. She added, "I was psychologically at a very, very bad place. I think the surgery helped me enormously.

Everything that was in my face that wasn't smiling went up. It helped me look in the mirror and feel younger and prettier," she explained. Her persistent effort to manage her public image stretched even to official records.

Yet in spite of those anxieties, she defied all expectations and continued to work, both acting and directing, well into her later years. Now in her late 90s, Lee Grant’s enduring beauty still captivates onlookers.

Her energy and dignified bearing prompt a flurry of admiration. "I've never seen a 90+ year-old lady look so great," praised one fan. Another remarked, "She looks fantastic!"

Some express wonder at how her appearance has changed, writing, "She looks great but like a different person!" and, "Why did she have work done on her face? She didn't need to." Yet many others simply say, "A beautiful face."

From her beginnings on Broadway to her eventual status as an Oscar-winning figure, her path has been one of bravery, renewal, and an unbreakable resolve to succeed in spite of every hurdle.

Part of her youthful outlook, she explains, comes from her second husband, who is now 86. "I don't feel that old, probably because I have a young husband – but …" she once said.