Grace Kelly (born November 12, 1929,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S.—died September 14, 1982, Monte Carlo, Monaco) was an American actress of films and television, known for her stately beauty and reserve. She starred in 11 motion pictures before abandoning a Hollywood career to marryRainier III, prince de Monaco, in 1956.

Kelly was born into a wealthy Irish Catholic family in Philadelphia; her father wasJohn B. Kelly, a gold-medal winning oarsman, and her uncle was the playwrightGeorge Kelly. She was educated in convent and private schools beforeattending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts inNew York City in 1947. She worked as a photographer’s model to pay her tuition. After several seasons ofacting insummer stock, Kelly made her Broadway debut in November 1949 inAugust Strindberg’sThe Father. She was cast in a number of television dramas in the early 1950s. In 1951 she made her big-screen debut, appearing in a minor role inFourteen Hours. The following year she gave a breakthrough performance asGary Cooper’sQuaker wife inHigh Noon.

Kelly’s nextfilm wasJohn Ford’sMogambo (1953), in which she starred as a young bride who falls in love with a big-game hunter (played byClark Gable) who has also caught the interest of a former showgirl (Ava Gardner). For her performance, Kelly received her firstAcademy Awardnomination. She earned further acclaim forThe Country Girl (1954), a screen version ofClifford Odets’s play. Cast against type as the dowdy wife of an alcoholic actor (portrayed byBing Crosby), Kelly won an Oscar for best actress.

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Despite such notable works, Kelly’s most memorable roles were arguably those in a series of classicAlfred Hitchcock films. She first worked with the director inDial M for Murder (1954), in which she played an adulterous wife whose husband (Ray Milland) plots to have her killed. That year she also starred inRear Window, cast as the girlfriend of a photographer (James Stewart) who becomes convinced that his neighbour has committed murder. InTo Catch a Thief (1955), Kelly starred oppositeCary Grant. Theromantic caper is noted for its ad-libbed scenes rife with double entendres between the two actors. Kelly was widely regarded as the perfect Hitchcock heroine, epitomizing what he called “sexual elegance.”

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After makingThe Swan (1956) andHigh Society (1956), Kelly retired from the screen to marry Prince Rainier. The couple wed in a civil ceremony on April 18, 1956, and an opulent religious ceremony took place the following day; Kelly became princess ofMonaco. The couple had three children—Caroline,Albert, andStéphanie—and Princess Grace was active in charitable and cultural work. Although she repeatedly resisted attempts to lure her back into performing, she reportedly agreed to star in Hitchock’sMarnie (1964) before backing out of the project. However, she did lend her narration to one or two documentary films and gave occasional poetry readings. In addition, in 1976 she joined the board ofTwentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.

On September 13, 1982, Princess Grace suffered astroke while driving on a winding road at Cap-d’Ail in theCôte d’Azur region ofFrance. She lost control of the car, which plunged down a 45-foot (14-metre) embankment. The following day Princess Grace died. Her daughter Stéphanie, who was also in the automobile, suffered only minor injuries.