[2][3][4][5][6] Born to a Polish Jewish family in Stuttgart,[7] she left a shtetl near Łódź[1] and immigrated as a child with her parents and sister, to The Bronx, New York.
[2][8] Initially embarking on a career as a dancer, she was engaged briefly to Broadway director and choreographer Jerome Robbins and later married Maxwell Shaw, an actor.
[2] In New York City, Tobias worked as a fashion consultant for an advertising agency before joining CBS and then Talent Associates.
[2] During her career, Tobias Shaw was reportedly responsible for discovering Kim Novak, George C Scott, and Elliott Gould.
[2] Tobias Shaw received a BFI lifetime achievement award ("Career in the Industry") in 1987,[1][11] and was described by the British Federation of Film Societies as a 'veteran of the business' and 'one of the best known casting directors'.