Bette Davis
Bette Davis was one of the most famous and most acclaimed actresses in Hollywood history. Known for her outsized talent, her formidable presence and charisma, and her lack of vanity, she was the perfect choice to play the firecracker, Margo Channing. In fact, the role had originally been intended for the more demure Claudette Colbert, but when Colbert couldn't do it, Mankiewicz gave Bette Davis the role and made the character more aggressive and bitchier, to reflect the talents and temperament of the diva.
Margo Channing is one of Davis's most famous roles. Other films include Of Human Bondage, The Petrified Forest, Jezebel, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, The Little Foxes, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Now, Voyager, Beyond the Forest, The Virgin Queen, The Catered Affair, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Death on the Nile, The Watcher in the Woods, and her final film, Wicked Stepmother. Respected for her uninhibited approach to acting and her willingness to play unlikable characters, she won 2 Academy Awards (for Dangerous and Jezebel) and was nominated 10 times.
Anne Baxter
Unlike Eve, Anne Baxter did not come from a humble background. The granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright, Baxter was lauded as a great actress in her time. After appearing in a Broadway play at age 13, Baxter's next role was as Katharine Hepburn's younger sister in the stage version of The Philadelphia Story. Unfortunately, she was fired from that job because Hepburn didn't like her acting. Baxter then went to Hollywood where she secured a 7-year contract with 20th Century Fox, starring in 20 Mule Team, The Magnificent Ambersons, Five Graves to Cairo, and The Razor's Edge, which earned her an Academy Award.
The story goes that Baxter was originally cast in All About Eve because of her resemblance to Claudette Colbert, who was set to play Margo Channing. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance, and in contrast to her character, got along famously with older actress Bette Davis. After All About Eve, Baxter starred in I Confess, The Blue Gardenia, and The Ten Commandments. She also continued to work on Broadway, eventually starring in the role of Margo Channing in the musical adaptation of All About Eve, called Applause.
Gary Merrill
Gary Merrill was an acclaimed character actor, who appeared in over 50 films, and notably was married to his All About Eve costar, Bette Davis. After acting as the voice of Batman in the Superman radio series, he secured a role in All About Eve. Throughout the rest of his career, he mostly acted in Westerns and military movies. In addition to his film roles, Merrill appeared in dozens of television shows.
Celeste Holm
Like Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and Thelma Ritter, Celeste Holm was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Karen in the film. Unlike Anne Baxter, however, Holm apparently didn't get along very well with Bette Davis, whose brash temperament she found off-putting. After starring in Broadway plays, Holm made her biggest splash as Ado Annie in the film adaptation of the musical Oklahoma! She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her role in Gentleman's Agreement in 1947. She continued to act into the 1970s and 80s, with roles in Tom Sawyer, Bittersweet Love, and Three Men and a Baby.
Hugh Marlowe
After a stage career, Hugh Marlowe started working in soap operas in the late 1930s, before transitioning into film work. His films include Meet Me in St. Louis, Twelve O'Clock High, All About Eve, Night and the City, Rawhide, Monkey Business, and Birdman of Alcatraz.
George Sanders
Born in Russia and raised in England, George Sanders was the perfect fit for the sly, knowing Addison DeWitt. With a particularly upper-crust accent, Sanders was known for playing villains throughout his career. His most beloved films include All About Eve, Rebecca, Foreign Correspondent, Black Jack, King Richard and the Crusaders (for which he won an Academy Award), and Batman. He is the only actor in All About Eve who won an Academy Award for his performance. He also voiced the villainous Shere Khan in the Disney film of The Jungle Book. Tragically enough, he is also known for his dramatic suicide at a hotel in Barcelona. He overdosed on barbiturates and wrote in his note, "I am leaving because I am bored."
Thelma Ritter
Although she has a very small part, Thelma Ritter was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Birdie. Ritter was known for playing comedic supporting characters, and was defined by her New York accent. She holds the record for the most nominations—six—for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards. She also won a Tony Award for her performance in New Girl in Town. Her other films include The Mating Season, With a Song in My Heart, Pickup on South Street, Boeing Boeing, Rear Window, Pillow Talk, and Birdman of Alcatraz.
