Sonja Henie Biography
Sonja Henie was born on April 8, 1912 in Oslo, Norway. She grew up in a very wealthy family and was encouraged to play sports. Sonja loved playing tennis and she excelled at ice-skating. At the age of ten she won her first ice-skating competition. She competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics and came in eighth place.
Sonja became the ice-skating world champion in 1927 and the following year she won an Olympic gold medal. She also won gold medals in the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. After retiring from competitive skating Sonja wanted to pursue an acting career. In 1936 her father financed an extravagant ice show in Hollywood.
After completing her competitive career, Henie moved on to the movies, where she became one of Hollywood’s most popular stars. Her films included Thin Ice (1937) and Sun Valley Serenade (1941). Henie also toured in spectacular ice shows that greatly increased the popularity of figure skating.
Darryl Zanuck took notice of the petite blonde and signed her to a contract. Her first film, One In A Million with Adolphe Menjou, was a huge success. Although critics complained about her acting skills and thick accent audiences loved her. She starred in a string of hits including Thin Ice, My Lucky Star, and and Sun Valley Serenade.
All of her films included dazzling ice-skating routines which she choreographed herself. By 1939 she was one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood. She appeared on the cover of Time magazine and her skates were immortalized at Graumann’s Chinese Theatre. In addition to her acting Sonja toured the world performing in ice shows and landed many lucrative endorsement deals. She had high profile romances with Tyrone Power, boxer Joe Louis, and Van Johnson. In 1940 Sonja married businessman Daniel Topping.
During World War 2 her connections to the Nazis caused a controversy. She had often performed in Germany and her popularity plummeted when a photo of her with Adolphe Hitler was published. Sonja decided to become a US citizen and supported the USO in their efforts. She divorced Daniel and married Winthrop Gardner, a wealthy aviator, in 1949. By this time her movie career was over. She continued to perform in ice shows and even starred in her own television special.
Unfortunately she had a serious drinking problem which eventually forced her to retire. Sonja’s marriage to Winthrop ended in 1956. That same year she married shipping magnate Niels Onstad. The couple moved back to Norway and opened a museum to showcase their art collection. In 1968 Sonja was diagnosed with leukemia. She died on October 12, 1969 at the age of 57. Sonja is buried on a hilltop overlooking the Henie-Onstad museum.
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Sonja Henie Quotes
- Jewelry takes people’s minds off your wrinkles.
- If you are not a skater, you probably can’t imagine what I mean. I could try to tell you by saying it’s a feeling of ice miles running under your blades, the wind splitting open to let you through, the earth whirling around you.It’s a sense of power, of command over distance and gravity, and an illusion of no longer having to move because movement is carrying you.
- The world never puts a price on you higher than the one you put on yourself.
- it’s a feeling of ice miles running under your blades, the wind splitting open to let you through, the earth whirling around you at the touch of your toe, and speed lifting you off the ice far from all things that can hold you down.
Sonja Henie Museum Oslo
The Henie Onstad Kunstsenter is an art museum located at Høvikodden in Bærum municipality, Norway. It is situated on a headland jutting into the Oslofjord, approximately 10 kilometres south of Oslo.
Sonja Henie Palm Springs
What began as film star and Olympic figure skater Sonja Henie’s estate in the 1940s has been preserved and developed into a hidden gem where celebrities, Palm Springs residents, and visitors alike have found a private getaway to relax in the warm desert weather. Villa Royale Inn, located in the heart of South Palm Springs, embodies the history and ambiance of the desert.
Sonja Henie Room United Center
Sonja Henie Program
Sonja Henie Movies
- Hello London 1958
- The Countess Of Monte Cristo 1948
- It’s A Pleasure 1945
- Wintertime 1943
- Iceland 1942
- Sun Valley Serenade Karen Benson 1941
- Everything Happens At Night 1939
- Second Fiddle 1939
- My Lucky Star 1938
- Happy Landing 1938
- Thin Ice 1937
- One In A Million 1936