American actress and comedienne whose bubble-head humor grabbed the attention of TV viewers nationwide in 1967 on the groundbreaking comedy show “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.” Success quickly followed in 1969 when she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in “Cactus Flower,” which launched a steady stream of film roles in “There’s A Girl In My Soup,” “Butterflies are Free,” “Shampoo,” and her signature film “Private Benjamin.” She first enchanted her viewers with her champagne grin and loony giggle, then further captivated them with her sweetness and appeal in roles that ranged from fey to delightful.
Goldie is the youngest of two daughters of Edward Rutledge Hawn, a professional violinist, and Laura Steinhoff Hawn, a dance instructor. Dancing under mother’s tutelage at age three in Tacoma Park, Maryland, Hawn’s natural ability emerged full steam and by age 17 she was running her own school of dance. After a brief stint at American University in Washington, DC., Hawn made her professional dance debut at the Texas Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair, then became a go-go dancer in New York City night clubs, while auditioning for every show in town.
When her luck ran out in 1966 she moved to Hollywood and, within one year, won a feature spot on “Laugh-In.” She married dancer-choreographer Gus Trikonis on 5/16/1969, but the marriage fell apart a decade later, at which time Trikonis filed for community property for $75,000. That same year Hawn took a two year maternity leave for her son Oliver with lover Bill Hudson, whom she subsequently married in July 1976; three years later the couple had a daughter, Kate. Their marriage ended in divorce in the early ’80s.
In 1984 Hawn produced and starred in the WW II drama “Swing Shift,” playing opposite Kurt Russell. “He felt like family. I was extremely comfortable with him and I was instantly attracted.” While Hawn and Russell have been a couple ever since, blending the children from both of their previous marriages (Russell has a son, Boston, born in 1981), including their son Wyatt, born in 1986, they have never legally married. Hawn, who keeps a “Raj room” in her custom-built home decorated with artifacts from her nine trips to India has a philosophical outlook on relationships, maintaining they have a life of their own. Some last forever, others have a different destiny. “Marriage is form of ownership. I don’t like fusion. I think it’s dangerous. I think you lose personal power.”
Hawn, who co-stars with Steve Martin in “The Out of Towners” in 1999, looks forward to future projects in which she’ll both direct and star. “I chose to be happy. This is my main aim and goal in life. You have to stop feeling sorry for yourself and start thanking the day instead of scowling at it.”
Link to Wikipedia biography