Norma Shearer
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- August 10, 1902 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Died
- June 12, 1983
- Active Years
- 1920–2015 (96 Years)
- Total Credits
- 99 credits in database
Biography
Norma Shearer was a Canadian-American actress. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on August 10, 1902. Shearer's acting career spanned from 1919 to 1942. She often played spunky, sexually liberated women in films. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward's works. Shearer won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the 1930 film The Divorcee. She was one of the most popular actresses in North America from the mid-1920s through the 1930s. Shearer's film career included historical and period films, as well as sophisticated contemporary comedies. She died on June 12, 1983, at the age of 80, in Woodland Hills, California, USA.
Career overview
Norma Shearer was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. She often played spunky, sexually liberated women. Shearer appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward's works. Her early films cast her as the girl next door, but for most of the Pre-Code film era, she played sophisticated contemporary comedies.
Shearer's most notable role was in the 1930 film The Divorcee, for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress. Her performance in this film marked a significant shift in her career, as she began to play more mature and liberated characters. Shearer's filmography includes a range of genres, from historical and period films to comedies.
Throughout her career, Shearer appeared in numerous films, with a total of 100 known credits. Her fame declined steeply after retirement, and by the time of her death in 1983, she was largely remembered for her work in the film industry.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Norma Shearer.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
99 titles- Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn (2015) as Self (archive footage)
- Vito (2011) as Self (archive)
- Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008) as Various Roles (archive footage)
- Judy Garland: By Myself (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- Checking Out: Grand Hotel (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- Complicated Women (2003) as Self (archive footage)
- Sports on the Silver Screen (1997) as Self (archive footage)
- Joan Crawford: Always the Star (1996) as Self (archive footage)
- Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell (1995) as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! III (1994) as (archive footage)
- You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story (1990) as Self (archive footage)
- The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988) as Self (archive footage)
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- That's Entertainment! (1974) as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972) as Self (archive footage)
- Brasileiros em Hollywood (1970) as Self (archive footage)
- Anniversary (1963) as Herself - Archive Footage (uncredited)
- MGM Parade (1955)
- Twenty Years After (1944) as (archive footage)
- Her Cardboard Lover (1942) as Consuelo Croyden
- We Were Dancing (1942) as Victoria Anastasia Wilomirska
- Escape (1940) as Countess Ruby von Treck
- A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound (1940) as Self
- Cavalcade of the Academy Awards (1940) as Self
- Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940) as Self
- The Women (1939) as Mary Haines
- Idiot's Delight (1939) as Irene Fellara
- From the Ends of the Earth (1939) as Self
- Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 (1939) as Norma Shearer
- Marie Antoinette (1938) as Marie Antoinette
- Hollywood Goes to Town (1938) as Self
- Another Romance of Celluloid (1938) as Self (uncredited)
- The Romance of Celluloid (1937) as Self (archive footage)
- Romeo and Juliet (1936) as Juliet
- Master Will Shakespeare (1936) as Juliet (uncredited)
- Riptide (1934) as Lady Mary Rexford
- The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934) as Elizabeth Barrett
- Going Hollywood (1933) as Herself - Premiere Clip (archive footage)
- The Film Parade (1933) as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Smilin' Through (1932) as Kathleen / Moonyeen
- The Movie Album (1932) as (archive footage)
- Strange Interlude (1932) as Nina Leeds
- The Stolen Jools (1931) as Owner of Stolen Jewels
- A Free Soul (1931) as Jan Ashe
- Strangers May Kiss (1931) as Lisbeth Corbin
- Private Lives (1931) as Amanda Prynne
- The Christmas Party (1931) as Herself
- We’re Switching to Hollywood (1931) as Self
- The Divorcee (1930) as Jerry
- Let Us Be Gay (1930) as Kitty Brown
- The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929) as Self / Juliet
- A Man's Man (1929) as Norman Shearer (uncredited)
- Their Own Desire (1929) as Lucia 'Lally' Marlett
- The Trial of Mary Dugan (1929) as Mary Elizabeth Dugan
- The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1929) as Fay Cheyney
- The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1928) as Kathi
- A Lady of Chance (1928) as Dolly Morgan
- The Actress (1928) as Rose Trelawny
- The Latest from Paris (1928) as Ann Dolan
- The Demi-Bride (1927) as Criquette
- After Midnight (1927) as Mary Miller
- The Waning Sex (1926) as Nina Duane
- The Devil's Circus (1926) as Mary
- Upstage (1926) as Dolly Haven
- Lady of the Night (1925) as Molly Helmer / Florence Banning
- The End of the World (1925) as Mary Ellen Hope
- A Slave of Fashion (1925) as Katherine Emerson
- Pretty Ladies (1925) as Frances White
- The End of the World (1925) as Mary Ellen Hope
- The Tower of Lies (1925) as Glory/Goldie
- 1925 Studio Tour (1925) as Self
- His Secretary (1925) as Ruth Lawrence
- Waking Up the Town (1925) as Mary Ellen Hope
- Excuse Me (1925) as Marjorie Newton
- He Who Gets Slapped (1924) as Consuelo
- The Wolf Man (1924) as Elizabeth Gordon
- Broken Barriers (1924) as Grace Durland
- Empty Hands (1924) as Claire Endicott
- The Snob (1924) as Nancy Claxton
- Broadway After Dark (1924) as Rose Dulane
- Married Flirts (1924) as Norma Shearer (uncredited)
- The Trail of the Law (1924) as Jerry Vardon
- Blue Water (1924) as Lillian Denton
- Pleasure Mad (1923) as Elinor Benton
- The Devil's Partner (1923) as Jeanne
- Man and Wife (1923) as Dora Perkins
- A Clouded Name (1923) as Marjorie Dare
- The Wanters (1923) as Marjorie
- Lucretia Lombard (1923) as Mimi Winship
- The Bootleggers (1922) as Helen Barnes
- The Man Who Paid (1922) as Jeanne Thornton
- Channing of the Northwest (1922) as Jess Driscoll
- The Taming of the Shrewd (1922) as Rose Del Mar
- Way Down East (1920) as Barn Dancer (uncredited)
- The Flapper (1920) as Schoolgirl (uncredited)
- Torchy's Millions (1920) as (uncredited)
- The Restless Sex (1920) as Reveler at Artists Ball (uncredited)
- The Stealers (1920) as Julie Martin
- The Star Boarder (1919) as Big V Beauty Squad Member (uncredited)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Norma Shearer best known for?
Norma Shearer is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including That's Entertainment! III (1994), The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988), That's Entertainment! (1974), MGM Parade (1955).
When and where was Norma Shearer born?
Norma Shearer was born on August 10, 1902 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They passed away on June 12, 1983.
How many credits does Norma Shearer have?
Norma Shearer has accumulated over 99 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1920 to 2015.
What is Norma Shearer's background in cinema and television?
Norma Shearer was a Canadian-American actress. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on August 10, 1902. Shearer's acting career spanned from 1919 to 1942. She often played spunky, sexually liberated women in films. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward's works. Shearer won an Oscar for Best Actress for her rol...
Norma Shearer by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988) as Self (archive footage) — aged about 85
- MGM Parade (1955) — aged about 52
- That's Entertainment! (1974) as (archive footage) (uncredited) — aged about 71
- That's Entertainment! III (1994) as (archive footage) — aged about 91
What viewers say
No comments yet. Be the first to share your take on Norma Shearer.