Doris Day Turned Down Mrs. Robinson, and Chose the Animals
America's sweetheart said no to one of the most famous roles of the 1960s.
Doris Day was one of the biggest box office stars of the 1950s and early '60s, famous for bright comedies like Pillow Talk and for her warm singing voice.
Que Sera, Sera
In Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), she sang Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera). It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became her signature tune.
Saying no to The Graduate
Day was reportedly offered the role of Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate (1967). She turned it down, saying the role did not fit her values. Anne Bancroft took the part and earned an Oscar nomination.
A second career
Day stepped back from films in the late 1960s and devoted much of her life to animals. In 1978 she founded what became the Doris Day Animal Foundation, which still funds animal rescue and welfare work today.
In 2004 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She lived to 97 and died in 2019 at her home in Carmel, California.
This story is based on the stars' own interviews and memoirs and on widely reported history. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
