Bette Davis is a male star.
Ruth Elizabeth `` Bette '' Davis ( April 5 , 1908 -- October 6 , 1989 ) was an American actress of film , television , and theater . Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history , she was noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic , sardonic characters and was reputed for her performances in a range of film genres , from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional comedies , although her greatest successes were her roles in romantic dramas . Although she lost the well-publicized legal case against the studio , it marked the beginning of the most successful period of her career . She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice , was the first person to accrue ten Academy Award nominations for acting , and was the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute . In 1999 , Davis was placed second behind Katharine Hepburn on the American Film Institute 's list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema .