Hollywood has lost one of its lesser-known but pivotal figures with the death of Marilyn Granas, the original stand-in and childhood friend of superstar Shirley Temple. She was 98 years old.
A life behind the spotlight
Marilyn Granas passed away in October, a fact confirmed by her family. Her nephew, film historian Arthur Grant, shared that she had been living with dementia prior to her death. A long-term resident of Beverly Hills, Granas's connection to cinematic history was both profound and, for many years, privately held.
She served as the body double for Temple during the filming of several of the child star's most famous pictures. These included classic films such as Bright Eyes, Curly Top, and The Little Colonel. During the production of the latter, Granas was positioned just feet away from Temple and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson as they performed their legendary staircase dance sequence.
A cherished friendship and a protected legacy
For decades, Granas chose not to publicly discuss her work alongside one of the world's most famous children. She was concerned that this early role would define her and overshadow her subsequent considerable achievements in the industry.
"I made a new life and chose not to be remembered as being Shirley Temple's stand-in," she once explained. However, in an interview during her forties, she opened up about the unique bond they shared. "Shirley and I were best friends," Granas recalled. "We had a wonderful time together. We invented all kinds of games, and of course when the sets weren't being used, we got to play 'house' in all these wonderful places."
She expressed deep sympathy for Temple's unconventional upbringing, telling Closer magazine in 2016: "Her childhood was so unnatural. She didn't get to go to public school. She didn't have a lot of friends or get to do kid things, like ride bikes. On the set, it was exclusively the two of us. We never played with other kids."
A successful career beyond the double
After her time as a stand-in, Marilyn Granas forged a highly successful career behind the camera. She transitioned into casting, first working as an assistant casting director at NBC. Her talents were showcased publicly when she participated in the Television Academy's "Miss Cinderemmy" beauty contest on New Year's Eve in 1955.
Her casting career spanned more than three decades. She played a key role in setting up the casting department at the prestigious William Morris Agency before eventually founding and running her own successful Beverly Hills-based agency.
News of her passing prompted an outpouring of tributes from film fans on social media. On X, formerly Twitter, one user wrote: "#RIP Marilyn Granas, Shirley Temple’s stand-in in ‘Bright Eyes’ and other films," acknowledging her part in cinematic history.
