Luise Rainer, the first actor to win back-to-back Oscars, was discovered as a young actress by the legendary theater director Max Reinhardt and became part of his company in Vienna, Austria.

The German-born star made her American debut in the movie Escapade (1935), replacing Myrna Loy, who was originally slated for the part.  William Powell was her co-star in her first Hollywood film, and he mentored her, teaching her how to act in front of the camera.

In 1936, M.G.M. cast Rainer The Great Ziegfeld, its spectacular bio-epic featuring musical numbers that recreated his "Follies" shows on Broadway.

As Anna Held, Ziegfeld's common-law wife, Rainer excelled in the musical numbers, but it is for her telephone scene that she is most remembered for. The Great Ziegfeld was a big hit and went on to win the Academy Award as Best Picture of 1936. Rainer received her first of two successive Best Actress Oscars for playing Held.

Rainer won her second Oscar for her performance as O-Lan in M.G.M. producer Irving Thalberg's spectacular adaptation of Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth.

In addition to her film work, she had roles in such television anthology programs as The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse and Lux Video Theatre.

For several years, Rainer stopped performing, married and had a child. She later returned to acting with performances in the TV series Combat! and The Love Boat, as well as the 1997 feature film The Gambler.

Rainer died December 30, 2014, in London. She was 104.