Evelyn Brent
Biography
Evelyn Brent was an American film and stage actress who started as an extra at the Fort Lee studios in New Jersey and became known for vampish and crook roles. Born in Tampa, Florida, she spent her teenage years in New York State, where modeling work opened the way into films; she appeared in The Pit (1914) and had her major debut in The Shooting of Dan McGrew (1915). After performing on stage and in films in England, she settled in Hollywood in 1922 and was chosen as a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1923. Josef von Sternberg cast her in the gangster epic Underworld (1927), her break, and she also appeared in his The Last Command (1928). She played major roles in features including The Silver Horde (1930), took secondary parts later, retired in 1950 after more than 120 films, and returned to acting on television in 1960, when she received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
73years old at death
- Born Tampa, Florida, USA
- Died Los Angeles
- Star sign: LibraThe sign runs September 23 to October 22
- Mary Elizabeth Riggs (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 6
- Career span
- 16 years1927 to 1943
First and latest
Share
Did you know?!
Big break
Josef von Sternberg cast Brent as Feathers in the gangster epic Underworld (1927) over Paramount executives who wanted Estelle Taylor, and the part became her real break in Hollywood.
About the name
For Metro Pictures, Evelyn Brent received her first credit as Evelyn Brent in The Lure of Heart's Desire (1916), where she played Little Snowbird.
First role
Brent started in movies as an extra billed under her own name at Fort Lee Studios in New Jersey. Her early credits include A Man from Mars and Maurice Tourneur's The Pit (1914).
Early training
Olga Petrova took Brent on as a protégé, and Brent's independent-minded attitude and taste for darker vampish movie roles were shaped by her influence.
Big break
In 1923, Brent's career got a major boost when the WAMPAS Baby Stars selected her as one of their picks.
A change of course
Brent appeared in more than 120 films before she retired from acting in 1950. For a number of years afterward, she worked as an actor's agent.
Evelyn Brent movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Josef von Sternberg directed two of these films. Three actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Robert Homans's page
Shep Houghton's page
Helen Lynch's page
Josef von SternbergDirector, 2 films, 1927 to 1928
All films by Josef von Sternberg
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.