It’s A Wonderful Life star James Stewart was one of the Hollywood Golden Age’s most iconic faces. With a career spanning from the 1930s all the way up to the early 1990s, the Oscar award-winning star seemed to have a life that many envied.
However, his world was turned completely upside down when he suffered a major heartbreak and the once shining star lost his sparkle, becoming a recluse in his final years. James died suddenly from a heart attack following a pulmonary embolism on July 2, 1997. Three years prior, his beloved wife Gloria Hatrick McLean had died from lung cancer. She’d spent fifty years smoking two packs of cigarettes daily, prior to the diagnosis. She began having chemotherapy to treat it, but after just one session, Gloria began losing her hair and feeling sick. Eventually, she asked doctors to be honest about her mortality and they told her that chemotherapy would only minimally prolong her life, leading her to cut the procedure off completely. James spent over two hours by her bedside the evening before her death.
However, she remained on his mind until his final moments. Surrounded by family and friends, Stewart’s last words uttered were reportedly: “I’m going to go be with Gloria now.”
After Gloria died, James became a shell of his former self. He reportedly became a recluse, his career declined, and he eventually also died himself.
He completely cut off any public activities and told those close to him that his life in the spotlight was over. A year after losing Gloria, the actor still spent most of his time in his bedroom.
He only came out when his children visited or if his housekeeper insisted he come out to eat. The star didn’t receive guests, respond to letters, make appearances, or eat food sent to him.
He shut out most people from his life, not only media and fans, but also his co-stars and friends. His friends Leonard Gershe and Gregory Peck said Stewart was not depressed or unhappy, but finally allowed to rest and be alone
On June 25, 1997, James suffered a thrombosis in his right leg, causing a pulmonary embolism. A week later, at age 89, he passed away on June 25, 1997, at his Beverly Hills, California home.
