Luise Rainer, Oscar winner in consecutive years in 1930s, dies at 104 

First back-to-back Oscar winner Luise Rainer dies at 104

Image Credit: George Hurrell/MGM/Margaret Chute/Getty Images

Luise Rainer—who won Best Actress Oscars for her 1936 and 1937 films, 

 —has died at the age of 104. According to the Associated Press, her daughter Francesca Knittel Bowyer confirmed that Rainer died from pneumonia on Tuesday at her home in London. 

Luise Rainer, the Oldest Oscar Winner Speaks

“Though fragile as a hummingbird she was strong as an ocean storm,” Bowyer wrote in a statement emailed to

. “She left with grace and peace after battling pneumonia. She leaves her indelible print on her profession and all those who touched her.”

Rainer became the first person to win Oscars in consecutive years. “At the time that I received them, I did not really know their importance,” she told 

in 2012. “I was just a few years in America. I only understood what Oscars meant much, much later. The ceremony was far less elaborate in my time than it is now.” According to 

, a fight with her then-husband, playwright Clifford Odets, almost caused her to skip the 1938 ceremony. She later married publisher Robert Knittel.

Despite her early successes, Rainer’s film career was not extensive: She battled with MGM’s Louis B. Mayer and broke her contract with the studio. “He said, ‘If you leave now, you will never work in this town again. We made you, we’re gonna break you,\'” Bowyer told

. “And she said, ‘Mr. Mayer, God made me, and long after you’re dead I will still be alive.’ She walked out.”

Rainer did continue working, however, and even appeared in a 1984 episode of 

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

10 best TV shows of 2014 (plus 2 bonus picks)

Karina Smirnoff, Plus Sofia & Joe, Halle & Olivier and More!

\'Game of Thrones\' season 5 mixtape: Anthrax\'s Scott Ian tweets recording studio pic

Christine Cavanaugh, \'Rugrats\' and \'Babe\' voice actress, dies at 51

The Hot Seat: \'Once Upon a Time\' bosses answer burning questions 332

Box office report: \'The Hobbit,\' \'Unbroken\' beat \'Into the Woods\' 151

\'Daredevil\': 7 things we learned about Netflix\'s new series 100

Surprise, Rush Limbaugh does not like the idea of Idris Elba as James Bond 621

Sam Raimi admits he \'messed up plenty\' with \'Spider-Man 3\'

Paul Walker\'s dad files claim against estate of driver in fatal car crash

\'Star Wars\' tops \'Avengers\': Most anticipated 2015 movies ranked

Hear a Taylor Swift-approved mash-up of Taylor Swift songs

Exodus: Gods and Kings" /> Exodus: Gods and Kings

This Week\'s Cover: Check out EW\'s Winter TV Preview for our look at the final season of

Agent Carter Crashes the Boys Club: Marvel\'s newest TV series—and first female-fronted project—is changing the rules of the superhero game.

20 Podcasts You Need to Hear in 2015: There\'s more to life than

! EW\'s staff has combed through countless hours of \'casts to bring you this year\'s must-listens.

Reese Witherspoon and Cheryl Strayed find the meaning of \'Wild\'

J.K. Rowling can\'t, won\'t stop exploring world of Harry Potter

Get a ton of Star Wars comics on sale before they disappear next week

Pottermore Christmas, days 9 to 11: Malfoy, dementors, & inferi

When Books Went to War A Molly Guptill Manning

\'Star Wars\' tops \'Avengers': Most anticipated 2015 movies ranked

Watch real Selma protesters discuss the importance of \'Selma\' in 2014

Nick Jonas on his evolution: \'I think it caught a lot of people off-guard\'

\'Fifty Shades of Grey\' soundtrack preview: Hear the Weeknd\'s \'Earned It\'

Passion Pit\'s Michael Angelakos posts new demo called \'Somewhere\'

How to enjoy New Year\'s concerts without having to deal with crowds

Macklemore talked about race on Hot 97 and it went shockingly well

TV reporter is the latest to tackle Blackalicious\' \'Alphabet Aerobics\'

\'12 Monkeys\': What will Syfy series change from the movie?