Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 1940
Hattie McDaniel Gone With The Wind 1940
SEX WORKER ROLE
Cora in Blonde Venus 1932
Character Operates A House Of Prostitution
Hattie McDaniel in Blond Venus 1932
The thesis statement for this site is
“Every Academy Award-winning actress has played a character working in the sex trade industry.”
Many examples on this website feature characters who are employers of sex workers, from brothel madams to saloon owners. If the person who EMPLOYS a sex worker is working in the sex trade industry (the employer). Then the same is true for an EMPLOYEE who works for a sex worker. That person (the employee) is also working in the sex trade industry.
This scenario describes the status of Hattie McDaniel’s character in the movie “Blonde Venus.” McDaniel plays Cora, who runs a prostitution house in New Orleans. She serves as a Girl Friday to hooker Helen Faraday, played by Marlene Dietrich. Cora is responsible for performing all the necessary tasks to ensure the smooth operation of this house of prostitution. Louisiana law, the setting of the movie, classifies the job McDaniel’s character performs as a sex worker. If convicted of operating such an establishment, that person would be required to register as a sex offender. The laws have not changed since 1932, when this film takes place.
Hattie McDaniel with Marlene Dietrich in Blond Venus 1932
To read more about this prostitute role & other Oscar-winning actresses playing a hooker, please continue perusing
If you know of this actress playing more than one prostitute role, please tweet to me and let me know! I’ll gladly add it to the page here. My Twitter handle is at the top of this page.