Mae West’s Height, Weight, Biography, Family, and More

Mae West is the Hollywood icon who left no stone unturned when it came to proving her talents. The actress wasn’t just a film icon but also ruled vaudeville with her writing and acting skills.

West literally took Hollywood by storm with her confident and unbent persona, making her name as one of the greatest female screen legends of classic American cinema!

When and How Did Mae West Pass Away?

Legendary actress Mary Jane West, popular as Mae West, died in an unfortunate mishap when she slipped out of bed and had a stroke, leaving her numb.

The actress breathed her last at Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, on November 22, 1980. The respected soul now rests in Cypress Hills Cemetery in New York.

Mae West’s Education and Net Worth

Mae West started performing in local churches and shows very young. Instead of attending school, she focused on honing her acting skills and growing her career on Broadway.

And so she did! With a career spanning nearly seven decades, Mae starred in and wrote some hit Broadway plays, acted in highly successful films, and wrote popular books. She had accumulated an approximate net worth of $50 million at the peak of her career. 

According to New York Times, after Mae’s death in 1980, it was reportedly revealed during a court discussion that she had left around $1 million and the bulk of her estate for her sister, Mildred West.

Mae West’s Loving Family

Mae West’s parents were John Patrick West and Matilda Delker. She was the second eldest child of her parents and had three siblings, out of whom her elder sister, Katie, died in infancy.

Both of West’s parents were working. Her father was first a prizefighter, then a policeman, and finally owned an investigation agency, while her mother was a former model, forwarding her interests to Mae.

West had always been close to her family. Her mother’s death in 1930 affected her deeply. And when her siblings and father went to Hollywood with her, she made sure to support them by all means.

Mae West always attracted a lot of controversy to herself concerning her love life. She was married to Frank Szatkus/Wallace since 1911 but kept denying the fact until their divorce trial in 1937.

After this, she got in the news for her affair and anticipated marriage to Guido Deiro. Mae was also associated with Owney Madden and wrestler Paul Novak (originally Chester Rybinski) in her later years.

• Full Born Name: Mary Jane West
• Nickname: Bebe
• Occupation: Actress, Singer, Screenwriter
• Religion: Christian
• Date of Birth: August 17, 1893
• Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, US
• Father Name: John Patrick West
• Mother Name: Matilda Delker 
• Siblings: Katie West, Beverly West, John Edwin West II
• Spouse: Frank Wallace ​(1911-43)

Mae West’s Height and Weight

Classic actress Mae West possessed a petite physique with a height of 5 feet 0 inches or 152 cm (1.52 m) and weighed around 52 kg or 115 pounds in her youthful days. Despite being a short-statured woman, she exuded the utmost grace and sensuousness!

Mae West’s Body Measurements and Physical Traits

The famous screen legend Mae West’s voluptuous figure had close body measurements of 38-25-30 inches or 97-64-77 cm. Owing to her glamorous figure, Mae was popular as a leading sex symbol of her time. 

The actress had graced many films and stages in bodycon and revealing attire, thanks to her perfect bosom, which she possibly displayed wearing a bra size 36D with a cup size D. Her signature look mostly featured floor-length gowns with deep necklines. 

Looking at Mae West’s pictures from the 70s and 80s, she seems to have a special charm radiating all around her. Part of the reason for her magical aura was her perfect heart-shaped face and brown eyes under her thin, shapely dark brows.

Besides, Mae’s short curly blonde hair was a craze in its own right!

Mae West’s Way to Success

Mae’s journey to stardom started in theaters. She was around five when she started performing in churches and local shows. Then, at 18, West made her first Broadway appearance in A La Broadway.

With several Broadway gigs, she established herself as a skilled performer and finally started writing plays. Mae’s first professional Broadway show, Sex, came out in 1926. She not only wrote the play but also directed, produced, and starred in it.

But because of her bold writing, she went to jail for about ten days on moral grounds. But it didn’t stop Mae; she came up with many other plays, including the Broadway hit Diamond Lil.

In 1932, Mae debuted on the big screen with Night After Night, alongside George Raft, and followed it with My Little Chickadee and The Heat’s On. But she didn’t act in films for another 27 years, until finally appearing in Myra Breckinridge, alongside Raquel Welch, in 1970.

She later ventured into radio shows. But because of her unfiltered way of speaking during one of the shows, she was banned by NBC Radio until 1950, when she performed on The Chesterfield Supper Club.

In her later years, Mae was more into producing and writing shows. She also established herself as a singer after releasing several albums alongside. Her written works, including the novel Babe Gordon and the play Pleasure Man, were quite successful, too!

Exciting Facts about Mae West’s Life

Mae West was once the highest-paid celebrity in Hollywood.

West was a brilliant writer and wrote most of the movies and shows she acted in.

Mae was named after her paternal grandmother, Mary Jane Copley. 

The actress was in a romantic relationship with Paul Novak until her passing in 1980. 

Mae was portrayed in the 2016 show RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars by drag queen Alaska. 

Classic actresses like Mae West shaped Hollywood into what it is today for women. They started their journey from humble beginnings and created an empire themselves. Like Mae, iconic actress Jane Russell is also remembered for her flawless beauty and grand career.