Here in Montgomery County, Goldie Hawn, a Hollywood legend with a career spanning more than 50 years, started her ascent to fame. Her name is frequently among the first that comes to mind when talking about local celebrities.
The Academy Award-winning dancer, actor, and producer was born in 1945 in Washington, DC. Goldie Jeanne Hawn grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, just across the district line. Her father, Rutledge Hawn, was a professional pianist, and her mother, Laura, was a dancing school teacher. Goldie’s early love of performing was nourished by this creative setting. At the age of three, she started taking tap and ballet classes, and by the time she was ten, she was already participating in the chorus of The Nutcracker by Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
Hawn’s passion for the theater was solidified during her high school years. She graduated in 1963 from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring. She participated in Blair’s theatrical performances at this time and memorably gave a standout performance in the school’s 1963 production of Bye Bye Birdie, which is when she really fell in love with acting.
After graduating from high school, Hawn remained involved in the community. In addition to managing her own dancing school, she enrolled at American University in Washington, D.C., as a drama major. Her early years in Montgomery County gave her the discipline and training that would serve her well throughout her brilliant career, even if she later dropped out of college to follow her goals in New York City.
Hawn never lost her roots, even after becoming internationally famous on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and appearing in several successful movies. She has talked positively about her childhood in Takoma Park and her haunting grounds in Downtown Silver Spring, demonstrating a bond that is still a proud aspect of who she is.
Even though Goldie Hawn’s life and art are centered on the West Coast, she is still one of Montgomery County’s most well-known citizens.
