As Georgie Elgin, the long-suffering wife of an alcoholic actor, Kelly shed her glamour and won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
The Country Girl (1954), opposite Bing Crosby and William Holden, follows a director who tries to revive the career of a once-great actor, while his wife holds the marriage together. Kelly plays Georgie with a plain, weary honesty that surprised audiences used to her elegance.
The Oscar win confirmed Kelly as a serious dramatic actress, not merely a beautiful star.
Image credit: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.