Actress, Competitive Swimming Athlete. Billed as the "Million Dollar Mermaid," she adorned the silver screen in several MGM box-office hits, among them "Neptune's Daughter" (1949), "Dangerous When Wet" (1953), and "Jupiter's Darling" (1955). Born Esther Jane Williams, her father was a sign painter, her mother was a psychologist, and she was the youngest of five siblings. She developed an interest for swimming during her youth and, from dedicated training, she went onto capture the National AAU Championship in the 100-metre freestyle swim in 1939. After receiving national attention, she was poised to achieve greatness during the 1940 Olympic Games. World War II intervened and caused the events to be cancelled. Her radiant looks led to a career as a model and, after coming into contact with legendary showman Billy Rose, she landed a starring role in the swimming production "The Aquacade." She marked her film debut in the Mickey Rooney picture "Andy Hardy's Double Life" (1942) and went onto appear in roughly 25 motion pictures prior to her retirement in 1958. She was married to actor Fernando Lamas from 1969 until his death in 1982. In 1960, she was the recipient of a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and in 1966, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame for her contributions to the sport.
Actress, Competitive Swimming Athlete. Billed as the "Million Dollar Mermaid," she adorned the silver screen in several MGM box-office hits, among them "Neptune's Daughter" (1949), "Dangerous When Wet" (1953), and "Jupiter's Darling" (1955). Born Esther Jane Williams, her father was a sign painter, her mother was a psychologist, and she was the youngest of five siblings. She developed an interest for swimming during her youth and, from dedicated training, she went onto capture the National AAU Championship in the 100-metre freestyle swim in 1939. After receiving national attention, she was poised to achieve greatness during the 1940 Olympic Games. World War II intervened and caused the events to be cancelled. Her radiant looks led to a career as a model and, after coming into contact with legendary showman Billy Rose, she landed a starring role in the swimming production "The Aquacade." She marked her film debut in the Mickey Rooney picture "Andy Hardy's Double Life" (1942) and went onto appear in roughly 25 motion pictures prior to her retirement in 1958. She was married to actor Fernando Lamas from 1969 until his death in 1982. In 1960, she was the recipient of a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and in 1966, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame for her contributions to the sport.
Bio by: C.S.
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