Nance O'Neill

O'Neill, Nance [née Gertrude Lamson] (1874–1965), actress. A major turn‐of‐the‐century touring star, she was born in Oakland, California, and made her stage debut in San Francisco in 1893. She played for several seasons in New York before embarking on a tour as a star. O'Neill's repertory included Juliet, Rosalind, Viola, Parthenia in Ingomar, Magda, Fedora, Camille, and Nancy in Oliver Twist. One of her few major New York triumphs was as the self‐sacrificing sister Odette in David Belasco's 1909 production of The Lily. With the coming of films, the road began to fade and so did her popularity. However, she remained active, often in important supporting roles, well into the 1940s.