Nance O'Neil

Career overview

Role: Meticulous television and film archivist.
Task: Write a 180-260 word career overview of Nance O'Neil (Acting).
Constraints:
Use ONLY verifiable facts from provided SYNOPSIS and SOURCES.
No invented titles, names, dates, etc.
Original, neutral, encyclopedic prose.
Plain text only (no markdown, no asterisks, no headings, no bullet points).
Word count: 180-260 words.
Structure: 2-3 short paragraphs.
No preamble or JSON.
Name: Nance O'Neil (born Gertrude Lamson).
Birth: October 8, 1874 (Sources 2, 3) or October 6, 1874 (Source 1). Note: I will use the date provided in the bio/Wikipedia as it's more specific, or just mention the year if there's a conflict, but actually, I'll stick to the most consistent info or just state the facts available.
Birthplace: Oakland, California, USA.
Death: February 7, 1965.
Profession: American stage and screen/film actress.
Father: George Lamson, an auctioneer. He denounced her in church for becoming an actress and asked the congregation to pray for her.
First professional performance: Role of a nun in Sarah at the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco on October 16, 1893.
Career peak: Promoted as the "American Sarah Bernhardt" in theatre bills, trade publications, and newspapers.
Known for: Tragic characters in the early 1900s.
Known credits: 29 (TMDB).
Specific works mentioned: Princess Romanoff (1915), Kreutzer.
Paragraph 1: Early life and start of career.
Nance O'Neil, born Gertrude Lamson, was an American stage and screen actress. Her father, George Lamson, was an auctioneer who denounced her in church for her decision to pursue acting and requested that the congregation pray for her. O'Neil's professional acting career began with a performance as a nun in the production Sarah at the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco on October 16, 1893.
Paragraph 2: Career highlights and reputation.
During the early 1900s, O'Neil was a celebrated actress recognized for her portrayals of tragic characters. At the height of her career, she was promoted in newspapers, period trade publications, and on theatre bills as the American Sarah Bernhardt. Her film and stage work includes credits such as Princess Romanoff in 1915 and Kreutzer. According to The Movie Database, she has 29 known credits.
Paragraph 3: Personal details (optional or merge).
Born in Oakland, California, O'Neil lived until February 7, 1965.
Drafting for word count and flow:
Nance O'Neil, born Gertrude Lamson, was an American stage and screen actress. When she decided to pursue a career in acting, her father, George Lamson, an auctioneer, denounced her in church and asked the congregation to pray for her. Her first professional performance took place on October 16, 1893, in the role of a nun in the production Sarah at the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco.

O'Neil was a celebrated actress, particularly noted for her portrayals of tragic characters during the early 1900s. At the height of her career, she was promoted in newspapers, period trade publications, and on theatre bills as the American Sarah Bernhardt. Her known credits include Princess Romanoff from 1915 and Kreutzer. According to The Movie Database, she has 29 known credits. Born in Oakland,