Former Hollywood child star Shirley Temple has passed away from natural causes at her home in Woodside, California, aged 85, her family has announced. Born in 1928, Temple began her career aged just three, appearing in a series of shorts before enjoying her breakthrough in 1934 with Stand Up and Cheer!. That same year she found international fame courtesy of her role in Bright Eyes – which included her rendition of the song ”On the Good Ship Lollipop’ – and in 1935 she was the recipient of a special Juvenile Oscar, making her the youngest person ever to be honoured with an Academy Award.
Temple’s superstar status continued throughout the 1930s, with the young actress and singer Hollywood’s biggest box office draw between 1935 and 1938, appearing in films such as Curly Top, The Littlest Rebel, Poor Little Rich Girl, Dimples, Wee Willie Winkie and Heidi. Temple struggled to maintain this level of success during the following decade, and announced her retirement from the silver screen in 1950, having appeared in 14 shorts and 43 features. She continued to appear on television, hosting the likes of Shirley Temple’s Storybook and The Shirley Temple Show, and would later explore her political ambitions, unsuccessfully running for the United States Congress in 1967 before serving in various positions under Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.
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Originally published February 11, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
