1874 - 1965

Because her father was very religious he denounced his daughter wwhen she expressed her wish to become an actress. 
But she did not let swayed herself and followed her way. 

At the end of the 19th century she became a demanded stage actress and at the beginning of the 20s she had her greatest successes at the theater. She even run a theater company for a brief time where also the then unknown Lionel Barrymore appeared. 
At the beginning of her acting career she was managed by McKee Rankin who also paved the way to Australia and England.

When she toured in the USA and Europe for countless theater productions the film business became aware of her in 1913 as well.

She also became a demanded actress in this new medium and she impersonated roles till to the end of the 10s. 

She made her film debut with "The Count of Monte Cristo" (13) playing Mercedes, afterwards followed engagements for "Kreutzer Sonata" (15) with Theda Bara, "Princess Romanoff" (15), "The Witch" (16) with Alfred Hickman, "The Toilers" (16) with Edgar Lewis, "Greed" (17) with Alfred Hickman, the title role in "Hedda Gabler" (17) with Alfred Hickman, "The Fall of the Romanoffs" (17) with Conway Tearle and Alfred Hickman and "The Mad Woman" (19) with Tyrone Power sr. and Alfred Hickman.

Afterwards she concentrated again to the theater exclusively where she also appeared in classic plays written by Ibsen and Shakespeare. Only in 1929 she returned to the front of the camera.

After her first sound film "His Glorious Night" (29) with John Gilbert she took part in many movies at the beginning of the 30s.
To these productions belong "The Lady of Scandal" (30) with Ruth Chatterton and Basil Rathbone, "The Eyes of the World" (30) with Una Merkel and Fern Andra, "Cimarron" (31) with Richard Dix and Irene Dunne, "Resurrection" (31) with John Boles and Lupe Velez, "A Woman of Experience" (31) with Zasu Pitts and William Bakewell, "Westward Passage" (32) with Ann Harding, Laurence Olivier and Zasu Pitts and "False Faces" (32) with Lila Lee.

Nance O'Neil became eternized as a character in the musical "Lizzie Borden: A Musical Tragedy in Two Axe" because she was a close friend to Lizzie Borden in life. Lizzie Borden made the headlines when she was accused for double murder with an axe of her father and mother-in-law. She became absolved by the court but the rumors churning in the mill and turned Lizzie Borden into a mystic person for the public.

Nance O'Neil was married with the actor Alfred Hickman with whom she also shot several movies.
 

Other movies with Nance O'Neil:
A Woman's Past (15) Souls in Bondage (16) The Flames of Johannes (16) The Iron Woman (16) The Seven Deadly Sins (17) Mrs. Balfame (17) The Final Payment (17) Ladies of Leisure (30) The Rogue Song (30) The Florodora Girl (30) Call of the Flesh (30) The Royal Bed (31) The Good Bad Girl (31) Transgression (31) Their Mad Moment (31) Secret Service (31) Okay, America! (32)