• Biography

Norma Shearer was an iconic American actress who rose to fame in the 1920s and 1930s. She was one of the most popular stars of the era, appearing in over 30 films and winning an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1930. She was known for her beauty, intelligence, and strong-willed personality.

Early Life

Norma Shearer was born on August 10, 1902 in Montreal, Canada. She was the daughter of Scottish-born parents, Edith and Arthur Shearer. Her father was a successful businessman and her mother was a homemaker. Shearer was the youngest of five children and had two older sisters and two older brothers.

Shearer was a bright and ambitious child, and she was determined to pursue a career in acting. She began taking acting classes at the age of 14 and soon began appearing in local theater productions. Shearer moved to New York City in 1921 and began appearing in Broadway plays.

Rise to Stardom

In 1923, Shearer was signed to a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). She quickly rose to stardom, appearing in a number of successful films such as The Divorcee (1930), A Free Soul (1931), and The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934). Shearer was known for her strong-willed personality and her intelligence, which made her a favorite among critics and audiences alike.

In 1930, Shearer won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Divorcee. She was the first actress to win an Oscar for a performance in a talking picture. Shearer continued to appear in successful films throughout the 1930s, including Romeo and Juliet (1936) and Marie Antoinette (1938).

Later Career

In the 1940s, Shearer began to focus more on her personal life. She married producer Irving Thalberg in 1927 and the couple had two children. Shearer retired from acting in 1942, after appearing in her final film, Her Cardboard Lover.

Shearer continued to be involved in the film industry, however, serving as a consultant for MGM and appearing in a number of documentaries about the studio. She also wrote a memoir, The Story of My Life, which was published in 1953.

Legacy

Norma Shearer was one of the most iconic actresses of the 1920s and 1930s. She was known for her beauty, intelligence, and strong-willed personality. She was the first actress to win an Academy Award for a performance in a talking picture and she continued to be involved in the film industry until her death in 1983. Shearer's legacy lives on through her films and her memoir, which is still read by fans today.

Date modified: Apr 5, 2023
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