In the 1930s, movie studios controlled everything about their actors. They picked the roles, the clothes, and even the names. Most actors just followed orders. Bette Davis refused. Born on April 5, 1908, in Massachusetts, Davis dreamed of acting from childhood. She studied theater in New York before moving to Hollywood. Studio bosses thought she was not pretty enough to be a movie star. They almost sent her home. But Davis had fierce determination. She fought for better roles and stronger characters. She did not want to play sweet, quiet women. She wanted to play complex characters -- villains, queens, and women with real power. In 1935, she won her first Academy Award for a film called Dangerous. She won again in 1938. Over her career, she earned ten nominations -- a record at the time. What made Davis special was her intensity. She used her large, expressive eyes to show deep emotion without saying a word. Directors said she could communicate more with one look than other actors could with an entire speech. She made over 100 films and kept working into her eighties. She once said, "Old age is no place for sissies."