Anne Bancroft (September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress associated with the
method school of acting.
Early life
Bancroft was born
Anna Maria Louisa Italiano in
the Bronx,
New York, the daughter of Mildred (
née DiNapoli), a telephone operator, and Michael Italiano, a dress pattern maker.
[Anne Bancroft Biography (1931-)] Her parents were both children of
Italian immigrants.
Bancroft graduated from
Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx in 1948, and attended
HB Studio, the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the
Actors Studio, and the
American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women at
UCLA. After appearing in a number of live television dramas under the name Anne Marno, she was told to change her surname for her film debut in
Don't Bother to Knock in 1952.