Net Worth →
Fast Facts

Mary Pickford: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Mary Pickford? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Mary Pickford
Rufus Porter Moody via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), baptised as Gladys Marie Smith, known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian American film actress and producer. A pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood career spanning five decades, Pickford was one of the most popular actresses of the silent film era. Beginning her film career in 1909, Pickford became Hollywood's first millionaire by 1916, and, at the height of her career, had complete creative control of her films and was one of the most recognizable women in the world. Due to her popularity, unprecedented international fame, and success as an actress and businesswoman, she was known as the "Queen of the Movies". She was a significant figure in the development of film acting and is credited with having defined the ingénue type in cinema, a persona that also earned her the nickname "America's Sweetheart". In 1919, she co-founded United Artists alongside Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith, and was also one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927. She was awarded the second Academy Award for Best Actress for her first sound film role in Coquette (1929) and received an Academy Honorary Award in 1976 in consideration of her contributions to American cinema. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Pickford as the 24th-greatest female star of Classical Hollywood Cinema.

Quick facts about Mary Pickford

  • Full name: Mary Pickford
  • Born: 1892-04-08
  • Nationality: Canada
  • Known as: Actor
  • Wikidata ID: Q104109

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Mary Pickford?

Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), baptised as Gladys Marie Smith, known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian American film actress and producer.

What nationality is Mary Pickford?

Mary Pickford is Canada.

When was Mary Pickford born?

Mary Pickford was born on 1892-04-08.

Sources

More in Celebrities