Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 1929
Janet Gaynor Street Angel 1928
SEX WORKER ROLE
Wins Oscar For Playing A Prostitute
Janet Gaynor in Street Angel 1928
Ironically, the first woman to ever win an Academy Award for acting would be for her performance as a prostitute. The first Oscars recognized and acknowledged a performer’s annual body of work. Subsequently, the Academy Awards exclusively honored a single performance in consecutive years. One of Janet Gaynor’s three roles earned her an Academy Award. Notable among these was the role of a hooker in the film “Street Angel.” The movie depicts a woman evading the authorities. Just as she is about to experience genuine bliss, her past haunts her. She received her Academy Award for two other films, “Sunrise” and “7th Heaven.”
Watch clip of the film “Street Angel”
To read more about other Oscar-winning actresses playing characters working in the sex trade industry, please continue perusing Oscar Hookers