Who Is Ida Lupino? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Ida Lupino reached the remarkable age of 107 in 2025. Known for her versatility and talent, she was born in Herne Hill, London, England. Throughout her career, which spanned over three decades, she became one of the first female filmmakers who actively participated in directing and producing films that challenged societal norms. Lupino was a pioneer who used her platform to tackle themes related to women’s rights, mental health, and personal empowerment.
| Occupation | Directors |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | February 4, 1918 |
| Age | 77 Years |
| Birth Place | Herne Hill, Middlesex, England |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Country | England |
| Date of death | 3 August, 1995 |
| Died Place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Popularity
Ida Lupino's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Ida Lupino had an elegant stature, standing at approximately 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall. In her prime, she weighed around 130 pounds (59 kg). Although exact body measurements are not commonly documented, her classic Hollywood glamour and striking features made her a standout star in the film industry.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Ida Lupino was known to be a fiercely independent woman, but she also experienced romantic involvement during her life. Her most notable relationship was with actor Howard Duff, whom she married in 1949. The couple had a tumultuous relationship which eventually led to their divorce in 1951. Post-divorce, Lupino focused extensively on her career, but her personal life remained an area of curiosity among fans and historians alike.
She was raised Catholic. Her great-grandfather, George Hook, changed his name to Lupino. Her father, a top name in musical comedy in the UK, encouraged her to perform at an early age. He built a backyard theatre for Lupino and her sister Rita (1921–2016), who also became an actress and dancer.
Lupino wrote her first play at age seven and toured with a travelling theatre company as a child. By the age of ten, Lupino had memorised the leading female roles in Shakespeare's plays.
After her childhood training for stage plays, Ida's uncle Lupino Lane assisted her in moving towards film acting by getting her work as a background actress at British International Studios.
Net Worth and Salary
Ida Lupino’s net worth at the time of her passing was estimated to be around $2 million. As a pioneering filmmaker, she not only accumulated wealth from her acting career but also made significant earnings from directing and producing various films and television shows. Today, her legacy continues to generate interest and revenue through classic film retrospectives and home media sales.
Ahead of her time within the studio system, Lupino was intent on creating films that were rooted in reality. On Never Fear, Lupino said, "People are tired of having the wool pulled over their eyes. They pay out good money for their theatre tickets and they want something in return. They want realism. And you can't be realistic with the same glamorous mugs on the screen all the time."
Career, Business, and Investments
Beginning her career in the 1930s as a contract player for major studios like Warner Bros, Lupino quickly rose to prominence as an actress known for her strong performances in films such as They Drive by Night and The Man I Love. In the 1940s, she transitioned into directing, becoming one of the few women to do so at that time. Her films, including The Hitch-Hiker and Outrage, received critical acclaim and showcased her talent for storytelling.
Lupino was also involved in various business ventures, including owning her own production company, which allowed her to create stories that reflected her unique perspective.
Ida Lupino (4 February 1918 – 3 August 1995) was a British actress, director, writer, and producer. Throughout her 48-year career, she appeared in 59 films and directed eight, working primarily in the United States, where she became a citizen in 1948.
She is widely regarded as the most prominent female filmmaker working in the 1950s during the Hollywood studio system. With her independent production company, she co-wrote and co-produced several social-message films and became the first woman to direct a film noir, The Hitch-Hiker, in 1953.
Social Network
Ida Lupino may not have had social media presence as we define it today, but she was a socially active figure in Hollywood circles, influencing her peers and utilizing her platform to advocate for women's roles in the film industry. Her legacy is celebrated on various platforms, including film festivals that honor her groundbreaking work.
Her performance in The Hard Way (1943) won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. She starred in Pillow to Post (1945), which was her only comedic leading role.
Although in demand throughout the 1940s, she arguably never became a major star although she often had top billing in her pictures, above actors such as Humphrey Bogart, and was repeatedly critically lauded for her realistic, direct acting style.
Education
The details of Ida Lupino’s formal education are relatively sparse; however, it is known that she received training in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Her education and formative experiences in the theater undoubtedly laid the foundation for her remarkable career in film.
Director Martin Scorsese noted that, "As a star, Lupino had no taste for glamour, and the same was true as a director.
The stories she told in Outrage, Never Fear, Hard, Fast and Beautiful, The Bigamist and The Hitch-Hiker were intimate, always set within a precise social milieu: she wanted to "do pictures with poor, bewildered people, because that's what we are." Her heroines were young women whose middle-class security was shattered by trauma – unwanted pregnan
cy, polio, rape, bigamy, parental abuse.
There's a sense of pain, panic and cruelty that colors every frame."
