A dedicated exponent of the 'Method' technique via the Actor's Studio, her physical neuroticisms could either captivate or repel audiences.
A well-known cat lover.
Although she and Gerry Mulligan referred to each other as husband and wife for years, she eventually said that they had never married.
Awarded the coveted Theatre World Award for best Broadway debut in 1961.
Became pregnant during the filming of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) but suffered a miscarriage.
Involved with actor Eric Roberts in 1981. Her dog was riding with Roberts when he crashed his jeep into a tree in Los Angeles. Roberts was in a coma for two weeks.
She declined to appear at the Oscar ceremonies the year she won her award for "Virginia Woolf".
She studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.
She won two consecutive Tony awards, in 1963 as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for "A Thousand Clowns" and in 1964 as Best Actress (Dramatic) for "Any Wednesday," which eventually led to her Oscar-winning film performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).