The terminal figure “ America ’s Sweetheart ” first appeared in the early 1900s , back when motion pictures were still a novelty . Over the years , it ’s been applied to a vast numeral of celebrities — largely young , bubbly , wholesome - seeming ladies who fair sex want to be and men want to introduce to their mother . ( The periodic Isle of Man has been nickname America ’s sweetheart , too , but the byname has never quite defined famous humanity the way it has specify a sure writing style of female famous person . ) Here are nine masses who have been called " America ’s sweetheart " in the past .
1. THE ORIGINAL: MARY PICKFORD
Mary Pickford — perhaps the most iconic actress of the Silent Era and a father of Hollywood institution like the United Artists studio and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — was the first to hold the unofficial form of address of " America ’s Sweetheart , " a nicknamereportedlygiven to her by influential theater proprietor David Grauman . The deed would later be used in ad copy for her films and by magazines write about her work . In a 1918 feature article inPhotoplaymagazine called " womanhood I Have screw , " actor Elliott Dexter , in enumerating all of the actresses who had dish out as his on - screen love interests , wrotethat " Mary Pickford absolutely captivated me as she does everyone who goes near her . Her champion , her lustre , her spell , her stunner — oh , what ’s the use ? All of that has only been said two or three thousand times more or less and all of it is true . " Dexter played opposite Pickford inA Romance of the Redwoods , a 1917 mum Western . ( To give you an idea of her comparative poke , she receive top charge , while his name did n’t come out on the film’sposterat all . )
" In more than 200 cinema , include 52 full - length features , she was the brave petty girl whose hair hung down in golden ringlets,“The Washington Postdescribedin her obituary in 1979 . " She was scarce 5 feet tall , but she never gave up when times got bad . She was funny and sorry , ruffianly and vulnerable , innocent and ingenious , and she always won out in the end . "
funnily enough , Pickford prove that you did n’t need to be from the U.S. to become America ’s sweetheart — she was Canadian .
2. SHIRLEY TEMPLE
Several decades after Pickford initiate the name , Shirley Temple took over as " America ’s Sweetheart , " so in effect embodying the title thatmanyhave erroneously call in her America ’s first sweetheart . The dimpled , gyre - sporting Depression - era nipper actor was famed by the time she was 6 , tattle and tap - dancing her manner through more than40 filmsbefore she retired from the pictures at the ripe age of 22 and selling millions of dolls in her alikeness to American baby in the process . As an adult , she went on to become a U.S. delegate to the U.N. and ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia .
The title of America ’s smasher stuck with Temple throughout her biography . When Fox released boxwood sets of her complete works on videodisc in the early 2000s , the studio called them the America ’s Sweetheart collection .
3. DEBBIE REYNOLDS
Debbie Reynolds became America ’s latest sweetheart in the 1950s , starting with her wiz release inSingin ’ in the Rain , which debuted in 1952 when she was 20 years old . She give-up the ghost on to look in multiple movies a year throughout the fifties and had several collide with song on theBillboardcharts . " Her little girl - next - door smell , bouncy personality and Department of Energy in a strand of comedies and musicals apace earned her the title of America ’s Sweetheart,“The Timesof Shreveport , Louisiana explained in 1988 .
Unfortunately , Reynolds ’s position as America ’s sweetheart was often juxtaposed with the sex - symbolisation status of her near champion Elizabeth Taylor . Reynolds ’s husband Eddie Fisher ( himself an American sweetheart ) split up her to marry Taylor in 1959 , a malicious gossip that garnered tremendous spiritualist insurance coverage at the time and still appears in headlinestoday . Reynoldsdiedin previous 2016 , and nearly every obit reference her years as America ’s mantrap .
4. MARY TYLER MOORE
In the 1970s , Mary Tyler Moore took over the deed of conveyance of America ’s peach — though there was often a caveat . " Just as for certain as Mary Pickford was America ’s peach , Mary Tyler Moore is the viewers ' sweetheart , " a UPI newswire story aboutThe Mary Tyler Moore Showdeclared in 1972 , not quite giving her the full title . Moore became a household name in the early 1960s while playing Laura Petrie onThe Dick Van Dyke Showand went on to asterisk in her own eponymous show between 1970 and 1977 . In 1977 , the New YorkDaily Newscalled her " America ’s TV mantrap . " But in other publications , there was no signifier required . BothEsquireandRolling Stonelabeled her " America ’s mantrap ' in cover stories in 1977 and 1980 , severally .
And yet , America ca n’t focus on one sweetheart for too long . Already , her title was already at risk of being sink off to someone else . In 1979,The Pittsburgh Presswrote that Donna Pescow ofSaturday Night Fever , who was then starring in the ABC showAngie , " may replace Mary Tyler Moore as America ’s truelove . " ( That one did n’t quite derive to realization . )
5. MARY LOU RETTON … AND NUMEROUS OTHER FEMALE OLYMPIANS OF THE 1980s
Not all of America ’s sweetheart have been actress . Walter Cronkitebestowedthe honorary on gymnast Mary Lou Retton following her wins at the 1984Olympicsin Los Angeles . Olympic runnerMary Deckeroccasionally assume the recording label in the 1980s , too , as did tennis starChris Evertand swimmerJanet Evans . Just about every successful distaff jock of the 1980s was at one point deem to be America ’s sweetheart . The figure continues today , too — more late Olympian gymnast like Simone Biles , Gabby Douglas , and Aly Raisman have all beencalledAmerica ’s sweethearts , too .
6. MEG RYAN
Meg Ryan became America ’s knockout thanks to part in a string of quixotic comedies , starting withWhen Harry Met Sally … in 1989 and continuing throughout the nineties . In one typical clause of the time , aDetroit Free Pressstory in 1996 call Ryan " she of the giggle in the representative and the sparkle in the eye . " Another , published byThe Agein Australia , called her " movie theater ’s intoxicating , decent - hearted sprite . " But she fell out of Hollywood favor in the early 2000s after anaffairwith Russell Crowe brought about the end of her marriage ceremony to Dennis Quaid , a scandal that capture the tabloids . If there ’s one rule to being America ’s mantrap , it ’s that you have to keep your image scandal free — extramarital affairs are definitely not take into account .
Though she has been out of the spot for several geezerhood , Ryan recently discussed her time as America ’s sweetheart with Gwyneth Paltrow at a Goop conference , saying she never liked the title . " When you get tag anything , like America ’s sweetheart — I did n’t even have sex what that entail , " shetoldPaltrow . " I remember retrieve , ' Is that good ? ' " She went on to say , " It does n’t necessarily imply that you ’re smart or sexual or complicated or anything . It ’s a recording label . And what can a label do but guess at you ? "
7. JULIA ROBERTS
Julia Roberts got her start in Hollywood with films likeMystic Pizza(1988 ) andSteel Magnolias(1989 ) and became a on-key international asterisk whenPretty Womancame out in 1990 . In 1993,The Boston Globecalled her " the closest thing there is to America ’s Sweetheart . " Throughout the ' 90s , both she and fellow sweetheart Meg Ryan regularly made the top of lists like Harlequin ’s Top 10 Most worthy Women andMen ’s Health ’s list of the top sensation to " take home to Mom . " And yet by the mid-1990s , some writers were already moving on to someone else . " Sandra Bullock emerged as the potential successor to the fading Julia Roberts as America ’s Sweetheart , " the South FloridaSun - Sentinelannounced in its death - of - year coverage for 1995 . But she was presently back on top — afterMy Best Friend ’s Weddingcame out in 1997 , theOrlando Sentinelwrote that she " hardly seems ready to relinquish her title as America ’s Sweetheart . " In 2003,National Enquirerreleased abiographyof the star calledJulia Roberts : America ’s Sweetheart .
8. SANDRA BULLOCK
Anyone with a few come to romantic comedy under their whang is sure to become America ’s sweetheart , and Sandra Bullock was no exclusion . Bullock made her name star as the plucky heroine in moving picture likeWhile You Were Sleeping(1995 ) , but when she tried to stretch her spectacular leg , she was n’t quite so beloved . " Sandra Bullock and Clint Eastwood are pop because of their personality and looks , not necessarily because we want to see them perform , " a Knight Ridder newspaper critic snarked in 1999 . Bullock was n’t especially invested in being America ’s sweetheart , however , and she certainly understand the formula of the game . " There ’s a different ' America ’s Sweetheart ' every time they have to promote another romantic comedy , " she toldThe Orange County Registerin 2005 .
9. JENNIFER ANISTON
Even more fool - proof than quixotic comedies , the quickest way to become America ’s sweetheart is to link up with another all - American celebrity . While Jennifer Aniston hit steady status thanks to the massive popularity of her part onFriends — oneEntertainment Weeklylabeled as a Top 10 greatest pop - polish grapheme of the last 20 age in 2010 — her romance with mention Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt definitely sealed the deal . When that ended in 2005 , she have to keep the title , except she became " America ’s spurned lulu " ( compare to the " superhumanly sensual " Angelina Jolie ) , as a writer fromThe Arizona Republiccalled her in 2005 . ( Another regulation for these superfluous title ? fair sex must be pit against each other , whether they like it or not . )
Even though Aniston no longer appear in our homes every Thursday nighttime as she did during her political campaign onFriends , she ’ll always be the nation ’s sweetheart for many . " bet at Jennifer Aniston : she ’s America ’s sweetheart for a intellect , " fellow actress Allison Williamsobservedwhile blab about red carpeting styles inElle ’s 2014 Women in TV issue . " You know what she ’s going to expect like when she show up to something , and there ’s something so well-heeled in that . "
mayhap that ’s the key . If America ’s sweetheart is anything , it ’s comforting .
