Marriage is not for the faint of heart – and that goes double for actors. The responsibilities of taking care of a marriage and performing rarely align, which is why many actors opt to avoid weddings altogether. Here are ten legendary actors and actresses who never tied the knot!
10. Dirk Bogarde
Known for his starring roles in The Servant and Death in Venice, British actor Dirk Bogarde kept his personal life private. He was involved in a long, committed companionship with his manager, Anthony Forwood, but avoided going public for fear of the stigma of the times.
9. Farley Granger
Granger helped redefine the thriller genre thanks to his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock. A confirmed bachelor, Granger came out as bisexual in his autobiography, spending the rest of his life with partner, Robert Calhoun.
8. Montgomery Clift
One of Hollywood’s original “Method Actors,” Clift kept his private life a secret throughout his career. Rumors of a secret relationship with Elizabeth Taylor were dispelled by Taylor herself in 2000, when she confirmed that Clift was homosexual.
7. Heath Ledger
The beloved Australian actor shocked the world with his untimely death in 2008. He had a long-standing relationship with actress Michelle Williams, with whom he had a daughter, but never married before his passing.
6. Liberace
The legendary pianist and actor led a life of flamboyant excess, but never acknowledged his homosexuality. Despite numerous flings and one serious relationship, he never married.
5. Lillian Gish
A true pioneer of American cinema, starring in films like The Birth of a Nation and The Night Hunter, Gish dedicated her entire life to her career, never marrying or having children.
4. Sal Mineo
Reaching massive popularity for his roles in Rebel Without a Cause and Planet of the Apes, Mineo was openly bisexual and never got the chance to marry before he was tragically assassinated in a botched mugging.
3. Cesar Romero
Well-known as the Joker in the Adam West live-action Batman series, Romero dated many women throughout his life, with his behind-the-scenes homosexuality kept as an open secret. That said, entertainment historians speculate Romero never married as a way of keeping his cherished sense of independence intact.
2. James Dean
The one and only Rebel Without a Cause never got the chance to marry before he met his tragic end when he was just 24. Celebrated as a true Hollywood icon, Dean was briefly engaged in 1954 to Italian actress Pier Angeli – an engagement that lasted all of two days before Dean called it off.
1. Greta Garbo
One of the most iconic actresses in Hollywood history never left descendants or endured the tribulations of marriage. Garbo lived a very reclusive life after her retirement from acting, despite her high-profile relationships with stars like Cecil Beaton and John Gilbert. Most of all, Garbo had an intense fondness for privacy and solitude.
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