Barbra Streisand
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Notes
In 1997, with the success of "Higher Ground", she became the top female singer with the most multi-platinum albums.
Received the National Medal of Arts from US President Bill Clinton (2000).
Biography
An iconic entertainer with over 70 million albums sold and Grammy, Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe awards for acting and directing, Barbra Streisand's popularity and creative output spanned over four decades. The New York cabaret singer first hit big as a pop singer and Broadway star in the 1960s. By the 1970s, she was the No. 1 female box office draw with a succession of gold albums that symbolized a new potential success for women in the feminism era. On film, Streisand won over audiences as fast-talking, quick-witted dames in "Funny Girl" (1968) and "What's Up Doc?" (1974), prior to maturing into an acclaimed film producer and director of "The Prince of Tides" (1991) and other stories of personal growth, like "Yentl" (1983). Streisand's musical output evolved from its theater roots to contemporary songwriters and she charted No. 1 albums in every decade, from "The Way We Were" in 1973 to "Love is the Answer" in 2009. Due to a crippling phobia of signing live, she virtually disappeared from stage performing for 25 years, but remained in the public eye with her film career and status as an active philanthropist in liberal political and social causes, even as unflattering tales of megalomaniac tendencies persisted in show business circles. Streisand shrugged off detractors by noting that healthy ambition in men was often perceived as an unattractive pushiness in women, and ultimately, Streisand reigned supreme for her artistic legacy and overall cultural impact in the latter twentieth century.Born Barbara Streisand on April 24, 1942, Streisand was raised in Brooklyn, NY. Her mother, Diana Rosen, was left to raise Streisand and her younger brother Sheldon when father Emanuel Streisand, an educator and scholar, died when his daughter was just three months old. With the exception of a brief and rocky remarriage that brought Streisand a half sister Rosyln, Streisand was raised largely by her single mother who worked for the New York school system. Streisand herself was an honor student at Erasmus Hall High School, where she had a bit of an oddball reputation and harbored ambitions for an acting career. While still a teenager, Streisand won a singing contest at a nightclub and began landing paid singing gigs around Greenwich Village. She found an acting coach, landed an agent and was still a teenager when she secured jobs in Chicago and San Francisco, though a two-week engagement in Canada was cut short when the audience did not understand Streisand's bohemian personal style and choice of rather obscure older songs. The club's owner famously advised the young singer that she would never make it in show business. Few shared his sentiment, though, and Streisand quickly gained widespread exposure with television appearances, including "The Tonight Show" (NBC, 1954- ) in 1961. Further nudging her to stardom was her 1962 Broadway debut in the musical comedy "I Can Get It for You Wholesale," which confirmed Streisand's promise as a song "belter" and earned the newcomer a Tony nomination.Smelling a pop music goldmine, executives at Columbia Records signed the 20-year-old, who insisted on a clause giving her the right to choose her own material. In quick succession, Columbia released a pair of albums featuring Streisand's interpretations of theater tunes and cabaret standards, with The Barbra Streisand Album taking home two Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. In addition to her nearly overnight stardom, Streisand's off-stage life blossomed with her marriage to actor Elliot Gould (who had yet to even make his screen debut) in 1963. She was nominated for a second Tony Award in 1964 for her portrayal of early Broadway star Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl," which established her early persona as a sassy, take-no-guff dame. No mere stage gimmick, Streisand's many late night talk show appearances showcased a confident, fearless young woman unlike any wilting-flower chanteuse that had come before, and her off-the-cuff banter with hosts like Mike Wallace and David Susskind bordered on the sort of confrontational generation gaps one would expect from Bob Dylan. Streisand's youthful appeal led to her first No. 1 Billboard album, People, and a deal with CBS. In 1965, Streisand brought her songbook to American television audiences in an Emmy Award-winning music special, "My Name Is Barbra" (CBS, 1965). The accompanying album earned Streisand another Grammy Award the following year; the same year she gave birth to her only child, Jason Gould.After a well-received run on the London stage in "Funny Girl," Streisand took the role to the big screen in a 1968 adaptation directed by Golden Age great, William Wyler. Audiences were charmed by Streisand's wit and high-energy live performances, leading to an Academy Award for Best Actress for her film debut; an award she accepted wearing infamous see-through "pajamas." Two more stage musical adaptations followed, with Streisand starring as a Victorian-era matchmaker in the classic "Hello, Dolly!" (1969), an enormous box office hit directed by Gene Kelly, but she fared less well in Vincente Minnelli's fantastical "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" (1970). Streisand put singing aside and took a stab at straight-up comedy in "The Owl and the Pussycat" (1970), co-starring as mismatched roommates with an aspiring writer (George Segal). Her off-screen pairing with Gould also proved a mismatch and the pair filed for divorce in 1971. The following year, the undisputed queen of the 1970s screwball comedy revival was born in earnest with "What's Up, Doc?" (1972). The Peter Bogdanovich-helmed classic concerning mistaken luggage identity and jewel thieves paired Streisand for the first time with Ryan O'Neal, and their chemistry contributed to what became a wildly popular and well-regarded comic success. Meanwhile Streisand's 13th album release, "Stoney End," marked a shift in her musical career, with a focus on new material from contemporary songwriters ranging from Randy Newman to Joni Mitchell. The change in direction proved successful, and the album hit No. 10 and sold well over a million copies.Streisand returned to No. 1 on the charts for the soundtrack to the film "The Way We Were," her first challenge as a dramatic actress. Sydney Pollack helmed the nostalgic romance with political overtones, pairing Streisand and Robert Redford as star-crossed lovers to great success. The tearjerker brought another Oscar nomination for Streisand. The versatile actress followed with a comic performance in "For Pete's Sake" (1974), a farcical misadventure about a Brooklyn housewife whose attempt to invest in the stock market goes sour. After reluctantly reprising her beloved Fanny Brice characterization in the sequel "Funny Lady" (1975), Streisand teamed with fellow musician and actor Kris Kristofferson in an updated version of the film, "A Star is Born" (1976). Streisand gave another standout performance as a rising cabaret singer taken under the wing (and into the bed) of a stadium rock star who is rapidly deteriorating from the excesses of fame. In addition to taking home a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, Streisand won an Oscar and a Grammy for Song of the Year for the film's mega-hit theme song, "Evergreen." In 1977, Streisand enjoyed a significant musical accomplishment with the album Streisand Superman, returning to No. 1 on the charts in 1979 with the disco duet "No More Tears" ("Enough is Enough)" performed fellow diva, Donna Summer. She re-teamed with Ryan O'Neal in the wildly successful - though critically panned - romantic comedy, "The Main Event" (1979), which also spawned a gold-selling soundtrack, though nothing could compare to the 1980 album "Guilty," a collaboration with Barry Gibb of the songwriting brothers The Bee Gees."Guilty" topped Streisand's career record sales, reaching No. 1 on the charts in over a dozen countries and earning she and Gibb a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for the title track. Meanwhile, the box office flop "All Night Long" (1981), starring Streisand as an untalented singer-songwriter married to a firefighter, broke her decade-long box office spell. Preferring to take more time between films and exercise more creative control, it was two years before she appeared on screen again in "Yentl" (1983), the story of a Jewish girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to pursue an education. "Yentl" was actually 15 years in the making, and upped Streisand's status to that of the first woman to produce, direct, write and star in a major Hollywood motion picture. Her labor of love adaptation of the Isaac Bashevis Singer short story was a box office success and Streisand was honored with a Golden Globe for Best Director. In short order, she scored a No. 1 album with "The Broadway Album," a collection of well-loved theatrical compositions that sold nearly six million copies and garnered Streisand another Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance. The formation of the Streisand Foundation in 1986 added a new dimension to the powerful showbiz player's career and through her tens of millions of dollars in future grants, she voiced strong support for issues related to the environment, women's rights, voter education, and nuclear disarmament.Streisand returned to theaters in 1987 as the producer and star of "Nuts," for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination for starring as a woman who commits a self-defense murder and lands in a courtroom trying to prove her sanity. Two back-to-back album releases followed; the Top 10 "Till I Loved You" and "One Voice," a career retrospective concert which was also released on DVD and raised millions for the Streisand Foundation. She returned to the film director's chair to helm the 1991 film "The Prince of Tides" (1991), based on Pat Conroy's best-selling novel. Again attracted by stories of personal growth and overcoming odds, Streisand's three-hankie tearjerker dealt with overcoming childhood trauma and difficult family relationships, with Streisand as a sympathetic psychiatrist opposite romantic interest, Nick Nolte. Both critical and popular response to Streisand's sensitive directorial work was notably improved; dismay being largely reserved for Streisand's glamorized appearance and saintly self-casting. The film received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and Streisand was also nominated for a Best Director Golden Globe. After 27 years away from the concert stage, Streisand began touring in 1994, amassing the top ticket sales of the year and exposing the staggering depths of her fan base. She was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys, and performed some her best-loved material for the camera in "Barbra Streisand: The Concert" (HBO, 1995), which unsurprisingly earned multiple Emmy Awards, reunited her with Barry Gibb, and brought in top ratings for the cable network.The 53-year-old's energy level seemingly unaffected from seven months of touring, Streisand went on to produce, direct and star in "The Mirror Has Two Faces" (1996), a remake of a 1958 French film of the same name starring Streisand as a plain woman whose marriage to Jeff Bridges is rocked when she undergoes a personal transformation. While a popular box office draw, the film suffered at the hands of critics who were turned off by Streisand's self-indulgent, soft-focus portrayal and broad, precious acting. Regardless, she was nominated for Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress and Best Original song for the theme, "I Finally Found Someone." Public favor still staunchly in her favor, Streisand visited the top spot in the album charts in 1997 with the album, "Higher Ground," which launched a top-selling duet with Celine Dion, "Tell Him." Also during the 1990s, Streisand's Barwood Productions earned positive notice for a number of television specials examining important social and cultural issues including "Serving In Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story" (NBC, 1995), which exposed harassment of gays serving in the military, and "Rescuers: Stories of Courage," (Showtime, 1997-98), which profiled courageous people who helped save the lives of Jews during the Holocaust. In a personal development, Streisand met actor and director James Brolin in 1996 through mutual friends and the couple was happily married in 1998. Streisand spent the next several years working behind-the-scenes as the executive producer of the special "Reel Models: The First Women of Film" (AMC, 2000), the PBS series "The Living Century" (PBS, 2000), and the Lifetime original film, "What Makes a Family?" (Lifetime, 2001).Following a five-city tour in 2000, Streisand returned to screens in 2001 in a filmed concert special, "Barbra Streisand: Timeless" (Fox, 2001), which brought in strong ratings and multiple Emmy wins. In a return to her long lamented career as a top notch comedienne, Streisand set aside her usual auteur role and took a role in the comedy sequel, "Meet the Fockers" (2004), playing the often embarrassing therapist mother of "Meet the Parents" (2000) main character Greg Focker (Ben Stiller). Teamed sublimely with Dustin Hoffman as her husband and sharing scenes with Robert De Niro, Streisand nearly walked away with the blockbuster, proving that her comedic skills were as sharp as ever. Her nostalgic return to comedy may have made Streisand nostalgic for her early music career, as she promptly re-teamed with Barry Gibb to record the gold-selling album, "Guilty Pleasures," and hit the road on "Streisand: The Tour," which took her across North America, Canada and Europe. Naturally an accompanying album was released , "Streisand--Live In Concert 2006," which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200, and whose sales contributed to Streisand's status in Forbes magazine as the No. 2 highest earning female musician for the previous year; topped only by Madonna. The over-65 songstress beat that stat in 2009 when "Love is the Answer," a collection of best-loved jazz standards, hit No. 1 on the album charts. The following year she reprised her role of Roz Focker in the sequel, "Little Fockers" (2010).
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Special Thanks (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Director (Special)
Cast (Special)
Writer (Special)
Producer (Special)
Music (Special)
Special Thanks (Special)
Misc. Crew (Special)
Life Events
1960
Achieved success as a singer at The Lion, a popular gay nightclub in Manhattan's Greenwich Village
1960
Made stage acting debut with "The Insect Comedy"
1961
Made first television appearance on "The Tonight Show" (NBC) with host Jack Paar
1961
Made off-Broadway debut in the revue "Another Evening with Harry Stoones"
1962
Made Broadway debut as the secretary Miss Marmelstein in "I Can Get It For You Wholesale"; received a Tony nomination
1963
Released her first solo record, <i>The Barbra Streisand Album</i>
1964
Had breakthrough stage role playing Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl"; received second Tony nomination
1966
Made London stage debut reprising her Broadway success in "Funny Girl"
1968
Made film debut in director William Wyler's adaptation of "Funny Girl"
1969
Starred in the overblown film version of "Hello, Dolly!" directed by Gene Kelly
1972
Delivered a fine comic turn in "What's Up, Doc?", her first screen teaming with Ryan O'Neal
1973
Appeared opposite Robert Redford in "The Way We Were"; also sang the theme song; earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination
1974
Reprised role of Fanny Brice in the sequel "Funny Lady"
1976
Made first film as executive producer, "A Star Is Born"; also starred and composed some of the songs
1979
Produced first film "The Main Event"; re-teamed on screen with Ryan O'Neal
1983
Made feature directorial and screenwritingdebut with "Yentl"; also produced and played the title role of a woman who poses as a boy to study the Talmud
1985
Returned to her theatrical roots with <i>The Broadway Album</i>
1987
Starred as an upper-class woman forced into prostitution and accused of murdering one of her clients in "Nuts"; also served as producer and composer
1991
Directed Oscar-nominated Best Picture "The Prince of Tides"; also starred and served as a producer
1993
Released her second recording of theater music, <i>Back to Broadway</i>
1994
Headlined landmark multi-city concert tour; concerts were taped and aired first on HBO and in a slightly revised form on CBS
1995
Executive produced Emmy-winning TV movie "Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story" (NBC)
1996
Directed her third feature, "The Mirror Has Two Faces"; also starred, produced, and contributed to the score
1999
Headlined a "farewell" concert tour with concerts in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve 1999 and New Year's Day 2000; aired on Fox in 2001 as "Barbra Streisand - Timeless"
2000
Executive produced Showtime original movie "Frankie and Hazel"
2000
Executive produced a series of PBS specials that aired under the umbrella title "The Living Century"
2001
Executive produced Showtime original movie "Varian's War"
2001
Served as executive producer on the Lifetime lesbian-themed movie "What Makes a Family"
2003
Received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for <i>The Movie Album</i>
2004
Teamed with Dustin Hoffman to play Ben Stiller's parents in "Meet the Fockers"
2010
Reprised role of Ben Stiller's mother, Roz Focker, in "Little Fockers"
2012
Co-starred with Seth Rogen as a mother-and-son duo driving cross-country in "The Guilt Trip"; also executive produced
2012
Compiled previously unreleased tracks into the album <i>Release Me</i>
2017
Began filming director Barry Levinson's "Gypsy," which she starred in and produced
2017
Announced as director for historical biopic "Catherine the Great"
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Promo
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
In 1997, with the success of "Higher Ground", she became the top female singer with the most multi-platinum albums.
Received the National Medal of Arts from US President Bill Clinton (2000).
"Barbra Streisand is a Marie Antoinette, because she's unaware of the facts of common existence. It's the danger of believing you're larger than life. Nobody is bigger than life." --ex-husband Elliot Gould to The Daily Telegraph, March 1999.
"I am a nice person. I care about my driver having lunch, you know."-Streisand Movieline November 2002
