Anne Revere was born on June 25, 1903, in New York City and was a direct descendant of the American Revolution hero Paul Revere. She grew up on the Upper West Side and in Westfield, New Jersey, where she graduated from Westfield High School.

Anne Revere attended Wellesley College, graduating in 1926, and later studied acting at the American Laboratory School under Maria Ouspenskaya and Richard Boleslavsky. She married Samuel Rosen, a stage actor, writer, and director, in 1935, and they had a long and supportive relationship until his death in 1984.

Her career began on Broadway in 1931 with her debut in "The Great Barrington," and she made her film debut in the 1934 adaptation of "Double Door". She gained recognition for her role as Martha Dobie in the original 1934 production of "The Children's Hour" and continued to work in both Broadway and Hollywood throughout her career.

She was known for her strong, matriarchal roles, often playing the mother to leading stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck, John Garfield, and Montgomery Clift. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress three times, winning for her role in "National Velvet" (1944).

Anne Revere faced challenges during the era of the Hollywood blacklist. In 1951, her name appeared in "Red Channels: The Report on Communist Influence in Radio and Television," and she was subsequently blacklisted. She stood on her Fifth Amendment rights before the House Un-American Activities Committee, which led to her being reduced to a cameo role in "A Place in the Sun" (1951).

She did not appear in another film for nearly 20 years, during which she and her husband ran an acting school in Los Angeles before relocating to New York.

Her resilience and talent were recognized with a Tony Award in 1960 for her performance in Lillian Hellman's "Toys in the Attic," and she continued to work in theater and television throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

She appeared in daytime soaps such as "Search for Tomorrow" and "Ryan's Hope," and had roles in films like "Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon" (1970) and "Birch Interval" (1976). Anne Revere passed away on December 18, 1990, at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy of strong, memorable performances.