Renée Zellweger could win an Oscar for her stunning transformation into Judy Garland. Here's the true story behind 'Judy,' from Garland's dramatic childhood to her tragic death.

garland

Hollywood — and Renée Zellweger — brought the iconic actress Judy Garland's life to the big screen with "Judy." Zellweger's portrayal of the legend even landed her an Oscar nomination for best actress.
The film takes viewers through the last few months of Garland's life in 1969, but there is a lot more to "The Wizard of Oz" star than her final moments.
She started acting as a toddler — at the demand of her parents, who wanted their three daughters to be stars, according to a book by Randy L. Schmidt — and continued on in the world of showbiz until she died at the age of 47.
The New York Times has described Garland's life as "a fruitless search for the happiness promised in 'Over the Rainbow,'" and her personal story is one filled with substance abuse, mental-health concerns, marriage and divorce, and a custody battle.
In her review, the Insider entertainment correspondent Kirsten Acuna said "Judy" — which is based on the play "End of the Rainbow" — "never shows you enough of Garland's life and will probably leave you wanting to head to Google" for more.
The following 33 photos tell the story of Garland's life from birth to her tragic death.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

"Judy," a 2019 film starring Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland, allows audiences to take a look at the final months of the iconic actress' life.

Source: Insider

While the film deals with her downfall in 1969 ...

Source: Insider

... the previous 45-year period of Garland's life is a story unto itself.

She was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Judy was the youngest of three sisters — Mary Jane "Suzanne" Gumm was the eldest and Dorothy Virginia "Jimmie" Gumm was the middle child.

Source: The New York Times

Garland told Barbara Walters in an interview that her grandmother put her up on a stage at 2 1/2 years old. She sang "Jingle Bells" for her first performance.

Source: "Today" via Jaycub Howard/YouTube

She also said her mother was a stage mom who "wouldn't quit." She told Walters her mother was "mean" and "very jealous because she had absolutely no talent."

Source: "Today" via Jaycub Howard/YouTube

If Garland wasn't feeling well and didn't want to perform, she said, her mother would tell her, "You get out there and sing or I'll wrap you around the bedpost and break you off short."

Source: "Today" via Jaycub Howard/YouTube

Garland's parents moved their family to Lancaster, California, in 1926 so they could pursue fame for their three daughters. They performed together as The Gumm Sisters.

Source: Biography

There are several stories about how the trio went from The Gumm Sisters to The Garland Sisters. The New York Times reported that after they were introduced on a Chicago stage as "The Glum Sisters" they decided to take on their mother's maiden name.

Source: The New York Times

Before she became a movie star, Garland was performing vaudeville — a variety show of sorts that was popular at the time.

Source: "Today" via Jaycub Howard/YouTube

The family moved to Los Angeles after Lancaster. A biographer wrote that, while in LA, Garland's mother introduced her youngest daughter to drugs for the sake of sleeping better at night and staying energized during the day.

Source: Biography, "Judy Garland on Judy Garland"

The budding star signed with the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio as a teenager in 1935.

Source: Biography

Her first MGM film was called "Every Sunday." She starred alongside Deanna Durbin, another teenage singer.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Her major film debut was on 1936's "Pigskin Parade." The movie was produced by 20th Century Fox.

Source: IMDb, Encyclopaedia Britannica

After that breakout role, MGM started curating a long list of musical movies just to highlight Garland and her singing voice.

Source: IMDb

The list went on to include more than two dozen movies. "The Wizard of Oz," possibly the most iconic of them all, came in 1939.

Source: IMDb, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Biography

She won her only Academy Award for her role as Dorothy and her performance of the song "Over the Rainbow" — she was awarded an Oscar for the most "outstanding performance by a screen juvenile."

Source: IMDb, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Biography

Another legendary role for Garland came five years later, in 1944, when she starred in "Meet Me in St. Louis."

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

The 1944 classic was directed by Vincente Minnelli, whom Garland married in 1945.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

The pair had one child together: daughter Liza Minnelli.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, The New York Times, Biography

Minnelli was Garland's second husband — she racked up five marriages and four divorces by the time she died. First, she was married to the composer-pianist David Rose — they wed in 1941 and divorced in 1944.

Source: The New York Times

She was then married to Minnelli for six years until they divorced in 1951.

Source: The New York Times

In 1952, Garland married the movie producer Sid Luft. The pair had two children together, Lorna and Joey.

Source: Biography

While they were married, Luft took on a managerial role for Garland — he helped her land her role in "A Star is Born."

Source: Biography

Marriage No. 4 was short. She married Mark Herron in 1965, and the two were separated five months later.

Source: Biography

Garland's final marriage was also quite short, but it didn't end in divorce. She married her longtime friend Mickey Deans in March 1969. The pair wed in London while she was touring there. She reportedly said, "Finally, finally, I am loved," about Deans.

Her final love story ended tragically when Deans found Garland dead of a drug overdose in her hotel bathroom.

Source: Biography, The New York Times

Throughout her early marriages, Garland was working for MGM. Studio execs and doctors reportedly gave her medication so she could work the long hours needed for producing so many films. They also micromanaged her weight — sometimes not letting her eat when she wanted.

Source: IMDb, CBC

When asked what she missed most as a teenager, Garland said, "Eating!" Garland also talked about her difficulty sleeping at night. She said when she couldn't sleep, she would get up and cook. In fact, when asked what she'd do if she retired from the stage, she said, "I'd cook!"

Source: CBC

As a teenager, Lorna Luft was in charge of taking care of her mother. She told Vanity Fair that her father taught her to empty the drugs from Garland's pills and replace the white substance with sugar.

Source: Vanity Fair

Even though she lived through addiction, mental-health concerns, and several marriages, Garland told Walters, "I think I've had a very nice life."

Source: "Today" via Jaycub Howard/YouTube

Walters asked her what brought the most joy to her life, to which Garland said: "Well, my two friends here (talking about her two youngest children), myself, my oldest daughter, my son-in-law, my future, my past, my present, and my audiences. And that ain't bad."

Source: "Today" via Jaycub Howard/YouTube

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Renée Zellweger could win an Oscar for her stunning transformation into Judy Garland. Here's the true story behind 'Judy,' from Garland's dramatic childhood to her tragic death.

"Judy," a 2019 film starring Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland, allows audiences to take a look at the final months of the iconic actress' life.

While the film deals with her downfall in 1969 ...

... the previous 45-year period of Garland's life is a story unto itself.

She was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Judy was the youngest of three sisters — Mary Jane "Suzanne" Gumm was the eldest and Dorothy Virginia "Jimmie" Gumm was the middle child.

Garland told Barbara Walters in an interview that her grandmother put her up on a stage at 2 1/2 years old. She sang "Jingle Bells" for her first performance.

She also said her mother was a stage mom who "wouldn't quit." She told Walters her mother was "mean" and "very jealous because she had absolutely no talent."

If Garland wasn't feeling well and didn't want to perform, she said, her mother would tell her, "You get out there and sing or I'll wrap you around the bedpost and break you off short."

Garland's parents moved their family to Lancaster, California, in 1926 so they could pursue fame for their three daughters. They performed together as The Gumm Sisters.

There are several stories about how the trio went from The Gumm Sisters to The Garland Sisters. The New York Times reported that after they were introduced on a Chicago stage as "The Glum Sisters" they decided to take on their mother's maiden name.

Before she became a movie star, Garland was performing vaudeville — a variety show of sorts that was popular at the time.

The family moved to Los Angeles after Lancaster. A biographer wrote that, while in LA, Garland's mother introduced her youngest daughter to drugs for the sake of sleeping better at night and staying energized during the day.

The budding star signed with the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio as a teenager in 1935.

Her first MGM film was called "Every Sunday." She starred alongside Deanna Durbin, another teenage singer.

Her major film debut was on 1936's "Pigskin Parade." The movie was produced by 20th Century Fox.

After that breakout role, MGM started curating a long list of musical movies just to highlight Garland and her singing voice.

The list went on to include more than two dozen movies. "The Wizard of Oz," possibly the most iconic of them all, came in 1939.

She won her only Academy Award for her role as Dorothy and her performance of the song "Over the Rainbow" — she was awarded an Oscar for the most "outstanding performance by a screen juvenile."

Another legendary role for Garland came five years later, in 1944, when she starred in "Meet Me in St. Louis."

The 1944 classic was directed by Vincente Minnelli, whom Garland married in 1945.

The pair had one child together: daughter Liza Minnelli.

Minnelli was Garland's second husband — she racked up five marriages and four divorces by the time she died. First, she was married to the composer-pianist David Rose — they wed in 1941 and divorced in 1944.

She was then married to Minnelli for six years until they divorced in 1951.

In 1952, Garland married the movie producer Sid Luft. The pair had two children together, Lorna and Joey.

While they were married, Luft took on a managerial role for Garland — he helped her land her role in "A Star is Born."

Marriage No. 4 was short. She married Mark Herron in 1965, and the two were separated five months later.

Garland's final marriage was also quite short, but it didn't end in divorce. She married her longtime friend Mickey Deans in March 1969. The pair wed in London while she was touring there. She reportedly said, "Finally, finally, I am loved," about Deans.

Her final love story ended tragically when Deans found Garland dead of a drug overdose in her hotel bathroom.

Throughout her early marriages, Garland was working for MGM. Studio execs and doctors reportedly gave her medication so she could work the long hours needed for producing so many films. They also micromanaged her weight — sometimes not letting her eat when she wanted.

When asked what she missed most as a teenager, Garland said, "Eating!" Garland also talked about her difficulty sleeping at night. She said when she couldn't sleep, she would get up and cook. In fact, when asked what she'd do if she retired from the stage, she said, "I'd cook!"

As a teenager, Lorna Luft was in charge of taking care of her mother. She told Vanity Fair that her father taught her to empty the drugs from Garland's pills and replace the white substance with sugar.

Even though she lived through addiction, mental-health concerns, and several marriages, Garland told Walters, "I think I've had a very nice life."

Walters asked her what brought the most joy to her life, to which Garland said: "Well, my two friends here (talking about her two youngest children), myself, my oldest daughter, my son-in-law, my future, my past, my present, and my audiences. And that ain't bad."

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