Helen Gahagan Douglas was not only a famous actress, but she was also a formidable politician. Her childhood and career focused on her work on Broadway, where she became a famous actress. She later became the first Democratic woman elected to Congress from California. Her acting training helped her speak passionately about topics such as equal rights for women and African Americans and worker protections. Her work led her to run against Senator Richard M. Nixon for a congressional seat, and although Douglas lost, she continued her advocacy work. Helen Gahagan Douglas was born on November 25, 1900 to Walter Hamer Gahagan II and Lillian Rose Mussen Gahagan. She was one of five children. His father owned several construction sites and shipyards, which enriched the Gahagan family. When Douglas was young, she and her family moved from New Jersey to Park Slope in Brooklyn, New York. Shortly after moving to New York, Douglas fell in love with theater. She dreamed of becoming an actress and particularly enjoyed taking drama classes at school. However, his father did not approve of his dream. In high school, she failed her classes because she spent too much time in the drama department. His father was angry and told him that going to college was more important than playing. Douglas listened to his father and attended Barnard College. At Barnard, she was able to stay close to her family and to Broadway. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Douglas attended the university from 1920 to 1922. While studying, she and fellow student Alis De Sola wrote a play called Shadow of the Moon. Elizabeth Grimball, Douglas's mentor, produced the play. She cast Douglas in the lead role of the Fairy Queen. The playwright Harry Wagstaff Gribble saw Douglas's performance and offered him a role in one of his plays. To take on this role, Douglas had to leave school. His father was furious. Gribble offered to speak to his father. The next day, as Douglas prepared to open as the lead in Dreams for Sale, she signed a five-year contract to perform on Broadway. That night she made her debut, and the next morning the headline in the Brooklyn Eagle read: "Helen Gahagan Becomes an Overnight Stage Star." » Douglas continued to perform, becoming more and more popular. Her father continued to disapprove of her career choice, but after a few years they were able to reconcile. In 1927, Douglas decided to become an opera singer. She was trained by Madame Cehanovska, a Russian vocal coach. After two years of training, Douglas made his debut in Europe and became famous throughout Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia. In 1930, Douglas returned to the United States. She began acting again and while starring in Tonight or Never, she met Melvyn Douglas. They married in 1931. After their marriage, they moved to Los Angeles. Douglas didn't like living in Hollywood. However, in 1935, she starred in the film She as the main character "She", an ice goddess. Her role inspired the Evil Queen in Disney's Snow White. While living in California and raising her two children, Peter and Mary Helen, Douglas became involved in politics. She was shocked that many Americans were unaware of Hitler's rise to power and that some Americans even supported him. Douglas also saw thousands of people move to California because the Dust Bowl had ruined the farms they worked on. The struggles Douglas saw inspired 28, 1980.