Katharina Buczek
Then, following college graduation, Dolores decided to try her hand in the industry. She was born Dolores Hicks but, after setting her sights on Hollywood, decided her stage name would be Dolores Hart.
And she quickly made waves with this new pseudonym. Dolores was first signed on to Loving You to be a supporting actress and the love interest of Elvis Presley. Then, once the film debuted in 1957, the young star quickly became a hot commodity.
She went on to star in another famous Elvis film entitled King Creole before landing roles in other major motion pictures such as Where The Boys Are (1960), Francis of Assisi (1961), and The Inspector (1962).
Her starring role in The Inspector even earned Dolores a Golden Globe nomination for Best Drama picture.
From Hollywood To The Order
Dolores’ final role came in 1963 when she was featured on the television series The Virginian. There, she played the character Kathy Maywood, a Catholic missionary who risked her life to help a community of sick Indian tribes. Perhaps this role inspired the future nun?
Regardless, Dolores went on to meet Don Robinson– an architect from Los Angeles– who she immediately hit it off with. They quickly got engaged, sent out invitations to their wedding, and got Edith Head– an Oscar-winning costume designer– to custom-design Dolores’ wedding dress.
Nonetheless, the pair never got to say their vows. Instead, Dolores abruptly broke off her engagement and announced her plans to become a nun at 24-years-old.
Apparently, all of the stardom had proved stressful for the young actress. So, in between filming, Dolores would often travel to the Regina Laudis Abbey convent in Connecticut to clear her mind.
And by 1963, she had decided that her life would be better spent there among the order.
“I began to notice each time I went, it was becoming harder and harder to leave. I had this feeling. I was home,” Dolores said.
