Known for movies

Short Info

DiedOctober 12, 1969, Oslo, Norway
SpouseNiels Onstad, Winthrop Gardner, Dan Topping
FactWon 3 olympic gold medals between 1928 and 1936. She was the first skater to parlay her athletic success into a lucrative career.
PaymentsEarned $400,000 from One in a Million (1936)


Sonja Henie was born on April 8, 1912, in Kristiania, Norway, to Wilhelm and Selma Henie. She had two older brothers, Leif and Erik. Her father was a successful businessman, and her mother was a former figure skater. Sonja began skating at the age of six and quickly showed talent for the sport. She began competing in local competitions at the age of ten and won her first Norwegian national championship in 1926.

In 1927, Sonja Henie traveled to the United States to compete in the World Championships. She won the gold medal, becoming the first Norwegian to do so. She also won the gold medal at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Sonja Henie’s career in Hollywood began in 1930 when she signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. She made her film debut in the movie “Love on Ice.” She went on to star in a number of successful films, including “Thin Ice” (1937), “Sun Valley Serenade” (1941), and “My Lucky Star” (1942).

In 1936, Sonja Henie married American businessman Dan Topping. The couple had two children: a son named Leif and a daughter named Nancy. The marriage ended in divorce in 1946.

In 1955, Sonja Henie married French Olympic skier Henri Richard. The couple had no children. They remained married until Sonja’s death in 1969.

Sonja Henie died of leukemia on October 12, 1969, at the age of 57.

General Info

Full NameSonja Henie
DiedOctober 12, 1969, Oslo, Norway
Height1.55 m
ProfessionActor, Figure skater
NationalityNorwegian

Family

SpouseNiels Onstad, Winthrop Gardner, Dan Topping
ParentsWilhelm Henie, Selma Lochmann-Nielsen

Accomplishments

MoviesOne In a Million, Thin Ice, My Lucky Star, Happy Landing, Everything Happens at Night, Second Fiddle, Iceland, Wintertime, It's a Pleasure, The Countess of Monte Cristo, Hello London

Social profile links

Salary

TitleSalary
Thin Ice (1937)$125,000
One in a Million (1936)$400,000

Quotes

#Quote
1Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles.
2I want to do with skates what Fred Astaire is doing with dancing.
3[on studio publicity promoting what was an imaginary romance with Tyrone Power] We had to consult the gossip columns every day to see if we were still in love or not.

Facts

#Fact
1Daughter of Wilhelm Henie.
2After she turned pro, she staged a series of successful ice-skating shows with Arthur Wirtz.
3In 1940, when the Nazis invaded Norway, she was out of the country. She telegraphed her maid and told her to place a picture of her with Hitler, which he had autographed, in a prominent place in her house. When the Nazis arrived to take over the house, they saw the picture and left quickly. For the rest of the war, all of her possessions were left untouched by the Nazis.
4The signature of her ice skate blades adorns the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
5Inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (1976) and the International Women's Sport Hall of Fame (1982).
6Became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1941.
7Accumulated a large collection of modern art together with her third husband that formed the basis for the Henie-Onstad Art Centre in the city of Tampere, about 200 km from Oslo. They are buried on the hilltop overlooking the museum.
8Robbed of jewels twice in six months in 1952
9The photograph of her shaking hands with Adolf Hitler was taken at the 1936 Olympic Winter Games in Germany, and Hitler - being the host nations leader - naturally met several contestants. In that context many claim it's not fair to really judge any of the athletes who encountered Hitler at the games, while others claim Henie should have refused to shake his hand. It is of course easy to judge in retrospect, knowing what we know today of Hitler's later crimes against humanity.
10Lost popularity when a photograph was published showing her shaking hands with Adolf Hitler.
11She was the youngest Olympic skating champion - 15 years and 10 months of age when she won the 1928 gold medal. This record was beaten only in 1998 by a two-month younger American 'Tara Lipinski'.
1210 time World Champion Women's Figure Skating according to A&E Biography
13Won 3 olympic gold medals between 1928 and 1936. She was the first skater to parlay her athletic success into a lucrative career.
14Accomplished skier and tennis player

Pictures

Movies

Actress

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Countess of Monte Cristo1948Karen Kirsten
It's a Pleasure1945Chris Linden
Wintertime1943Nora Ostgaard
Iceland1942/IKatina Jonsdottir
Sun Valley Serenade1941Karen Benson
Everything Happens at Night1939Louise
Second Fiddle1939Trudi Hovland
My Lucky Star1938Kristina Nielsen
Happy Landing1938Trudy Ericksen
Ali Baba Goes to Town1937Sonja Henie - at Fictional Premiere (uncredited)
Thin Ice1937Lili Heiser
One in a Million1936Greta Muller
Syv dager for Elisabeth1927En ung skøyteløperske (skater)

Soundtrack

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Countess of Monte Cristo1948performer: "Count Your Blessings", "Who Believes in Santa Claus"
Sun Valley Serenade1941performer: "I Know Why and So Do You" 1941 - uncredited
Everything Happens at Night1939music: "The Blue Danube Waltz, Opus 314" 1867 - uncredited
My Lucky Star1938"I've Got a Date with a Dream", "March of the Toys", uncredited / performer: "Could You Pass in Love?", "By a Wishing Well", "This May Be the Night" - uncredited
Happy Landing1938"Yonny and His Oompah"
Thin Ice1937"Over Night", "Polovetsian Dances" , "The Blue Danube Waltz" 1867, uncredited
One in a Million1936performer: "One in a Million" 1936, "Roses From the South"

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Hello London1960Documentary producer

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Bilder aus Kalifornien1969TV Series documentaryHerself
Hello London1960DocumentaryHerself
Holiday on Ice1956TV MovieHerself
Max Liebman Presents: Spotlight1954TV SpecialHerself - Guest
A Star Is Born World Premiere1954TV ShortHerself
The Colgate Comedy Hour1954TV SeriesHerself
All Star Revue1953TV SeriesHerself - Hostess
The Ed Sullivan Show1952TV SeriesHerself
Screen Snapshots 5852: Hollywood Night at '21' Club1952Documentary shortHerself - Celebration Guest
What's My Line?1952TV SeriesHerself - Mystery Guest
Camera Angles1948Documentary shortCameo
Til Vesterheimen1939DocumentaryHerself
Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 81939Documentary shortHerself
Se Norge1929DocumentaryHerself

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Bud Greenspan's Favorite Stories of Winter Olympic Glory2002TV Movie documentaryHerself
Biography1995-1999TV Series documentaryGreta Muller / Herself / Actress 'Thin Ice'
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults1999TV Movie documentaryHerself
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults1997TV Movie documentaryHerself
Sonja Henie: Queen of the Ice1995TV Movie documentaryHerself
Fred Astaire Salutes the Fox Musicals1974TV MovieHerself
I Miss Sonia Henie1971ShortHerself
Inside Daisy Clover1965Herself (uncredited)
Hollywood and the Stars1964TV SeriesHerself
Take It or Leave It1944Clip from 'One in a Million' (uncredited)
Sports Immortals1939Documentary shortHerself

Awards

Won Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1960Star on the Walk of FameWalk of FameMotion PictureOn 8 February 1960. At 6101 Hollywood Blvd.
1944Sour AppleGolden Apple AwardsLeast Cooperative Actress

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia

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