Anne Bancroft was born after 1987.
Anna Maria Louisa Italiano ( September 17 , 1931 -- June 6 , 2005 ) , known professionally as Anne Bancroft , was an American actress associated with the method acting school , having studied under Lee Strasberg . After her film debut in Do n't Bother to Knock ( 1952 ) and a string of supporting film roles during the 1950s , she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her lead role in The Miracle Worker ( 1962 ) as the teacher of teenage Helen Keller , reprising her role in the Broadway stage play .