Famous 19th Century Actresses
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Find out more about the greatest 19th Century Actresses, including Mae West, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, Sarah Bernhardt and Hattie McDaniel.
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Birthdate: August 15, 1879
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: June 18, 1959
2
Esme Creed-Miles
(Actress)
Birthdate: February 5, 2000
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London Borough of Barnet Barnet, England
Birthdate: August 7, 1884
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Died: May 14, 1970
4
Sarah Bernhardt(One of the Most Popular French Actresses of the Late 19th and Early 20th Century)
Birthdate: October 23, 1844
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: March 26, 1923
Sarah Bernhardt was a French actress known for playing important roles in popular French plays of the early-20th century. Her decision to play Hamlet inspired Theresa Rebeck's play Bernhardt/Hamlet, in which Janet McTeer portrayed Sarah Bernhardt. In 1960, Bernhardt became the earliest born person to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Birthdate: November 22, 1965
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Birthdate: October 13, 1853
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Jersey
Died: February 12, 1929
7
Theda Bara
(Former actress of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols)
Birthdate: July 29, 1885
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: April 7, 1955
Birthdate: August 6, 1882
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Pennsylvania, United States
Died: July 8, 1962
9
Ethel Waters
(Actor, Singer, Jazz musician, Stage actor)
Birthdate: October 31, 1896
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Chester County
Died: September 1, 1977
10
Adele Astaire
(Actor, Dancer, Stage actor)
Birthdate: September 10, 1896
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Omaha
Died: January 25, 1981
Birthdate: August 12, 1883
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: West Pittston, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: May 9, 1968
Birthdate: November 9, 1892
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New Brighton, Staten Island,
Died: February 23, 1930
Birthdate: October 17, 1886
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Died: September 7, 1971
14
Dame Gladys Cooper
(Actress)
Birthdate: December 18, 1888
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hither Green, London, United Kingdom
Died: November 17, 1971
15
Lola Montez
(Spanish Dancer, Courtesan, and Mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria)
Birthdate: February 17, 1821
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Grange, Ireland
Died: January 17, 1861
Lola Montez was an Irish actress and dancer. She achieved popularity as a Spanish courtesan, dancer, and mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. The German revolutions of 1848–1849 forced her to flee to the United States, where she established herself as an actress and dancer. Lola Montez has been portrayed in many films, including Lola Montez, the King's Dancer.
Birthdate: July 7, 1895
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: September 9, 1921
Birthdate: February 9, 1892
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: March 18, 1978
18
Marie Dressler(Actress, Comedian and Early Silent Film and Depression-Era Film Star)
Birthdate: November 9, 1868
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cobourg, Canada
Died: July 28, 1934
Marie Dressler was a Canadian comedian and actress. A major film star during the Depression-era, Dressler received the 1931 Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Min Divot in the 1930 American comedy-drama film, Min and Bill. Her life and career inspired a play titled Queen Marie, which was written by Shirley Barrie.
19
Gracie Fields
(Actress, Singer who was highest paid film star in the world in 1937)
Birthdate: January 9, 1898
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rochdale, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Died: September 27, 1979
Birthdate: December 10, 1895
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Belfast, Ireland
Died: November 25, 1975
Birthdate: October 21, 1895
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paradise Valley, Nevada, United States
Died: January 11, 1958
Birthdate: November 11, 1872
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Died: July 17, 1953
Birthdate: March 11, 1898
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio, United States
Died: June 4, 1968
Birthdate: October 20, 1882
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
Died: March 6, 1965
25
Loie Fuller
(Actor, Lighting designer, Choreographer, Artist, Dancer, Stage actor, Model)
Birthdate: January 15, 1862
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Illinois
Died: January 1, 1928
Birthdate: November 22, 1761
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Waterford, Ireland
Died: July 5, 1816
27
Sophie Tucker
(American Comedian, Actress, Singer, and Radio Personality)
Birthdate: January 13, 1886
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tul'chyn, Ukraine
Died: February 9, 1966
Birthdate: February 27, 1847
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Coventry, United Kingdom
Died: July 21, 1928
Birthdate: August 19, 1899
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Port Huron, Michigan, U.S.
Died: January 25, 1988
Birthdate: December 24, 1892
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: November 24, 1961
Birthdate: October 23, 1880
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Belfast, Ireland
Died: February 4, 1959
Birthdate: November 2, 1892
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: October 28, 1939
Birthdate: September 10, 1898
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Midland, Texas, United States
Died: April 26, 1986
Birthdate: October 12, 1840
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Free City of Cracow
Died: April 8, 1909
35
Anna Held(French-Polish Actress and Singer Best Known for Her Revues 'The Ziegfeld Follies')
Birthdate: March 19, 1872
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Died: August 12, 1918
Anna Held was a Polish singer and stage performer. Although her personal life and relationship with Florenz Ziegfeld overshadowed her professional career, Anna Held's uninhibited style inspired the popular theatrical revue productions on Broadway, The Ziegfeld Follies. Her relationship with Florenz Ziegfeld also inspired films like The Great Ziegfeld and Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women.
Birthdate: September 1, 1898
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Evansville, Indiana, United States
Died: April 7, 1936
Birthdate: January 12, 1884
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Waco, Texas, U.S.
Died: November 5, 1933
38
Lily Pons
(American-French operatic soprano)
Birthdate: April 12, 1898
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Draguignan, France
Died: February 13, 1976
Birthdate: February 28, 1898
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: April 5, 1992
41
Valérie Quennessen
(Actress)
Birthdate: December 3, 1957
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Died: March 19, 1989
Birthdate: October 3, 1858
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Vigevano, Italy
Died: April 21, 1924
43
Lillian Russell
(Former Actress, Singer known for her beauty and style, as well as for her voice and stage presence)
Birthdate: December 4, 1860
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Clinton, Iowa, United States
Died: June 6, 1922
Birthdate: May 29, 1894
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Died: January 20, 1989
45
Adah Isaacs Menken
(Actress)
Birthdate: June 15, 1835
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bordeaux, France
Died: August 10, 1868
46
Maud Gonne
(English-born Irish Republican Revolutionary, Suffragette & Actress)
Birthdate: December 21, 1866
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tongham, England
Died: April 27, 1953
Maud Gonne not just co-founded the Sinn Féin party but also participated in the theater movement of W.B Yeats, who made her his muse and proposed to her many times, only to be rejected. An Irish nationalist, she also formed the Daughters of Ireland and acted in Yeats’s first play Cathleen ni Houlihan.
Birthdate: February 21, 1897
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: October 12, 1979
48
Dame Edith Evans
(British actress)
Birthdate: February 8, 1888
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: October 14, 1976
Birthdate: April 5, 1873
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Enghien-les-Bains, France
Died: January 5, 1956
Birthdate: November 28, 1896
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: December 18, 1994
One of the first female architects from Austria, Lilia Skala later also became a reputed actor, winning an Academy Award nomination for her film Lilies of the Field. She had also worked in Broadway plays such as Letters to Lucerne and in soaps such as Claudia: The Story of a Marriage.