Norma Shearer (1902–1983) was a Canadian American film actress who was nominated five times for an Academy Award. She and her sister Athole were assisted in their pursuit of show business careers by their mother Edith Fisher Shearer. After amassing numerous letters of introduction from a variety of show business-related people in Canada, the trio relocated to New York, hoping to get into musical theatre.

She gained an introduction to impresario Florence Ziegfeld, who was unimpressed and turned her down. Shearer continued to pursue her career ambitions and spent five years being cast in bit parts in silent movies before landing a contract in 1923 with Louis B. Mayer, who had just formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), with Irving Thalberg as his head of production. After a start in silent films, Shearer made a transition to sound film. She remained with MGM for the rest of her career, with occasional loan-outs to other studios. Shearer and Thalberg eventually married.

Shearer chose her own roles, frequently going against the professional advice of others. Her husband did not believe she would be well suited for the lead character in 1930 American pre-Code drama film The Divorcee. Nevertheless, she went against his counsel and made the movie, hiring celebrity photographer George Hurrell for a photo session to prove her sexual allure could translate to film. Her performance earned her the 1930 Academy Award for Best Actress. She was also nominated that same year for her performance in Their Own Desire. Shearer was nominated four more times for Academy Award for Best Actress: the 1931 film A Free Soul, the 1934 film The Barretts of Wimpole Street, the 1936 film Romeo and Juliet, and the 1938 film Marie Antoinette.

When her husband died in 1936, Shearer continued with her film career at MGM. Coming on the heels of her success in Marie Antoinette, a nationwide publicity campaign was launched to cast Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. Producer David O. Selznick, however, had offered the role to Shearer. Her fans were incensed that she would portray a woman of such questionable character, and she eventually turned down the offer.

Norma's brother Douglas had remained in Canada until around 1925, when she introduced him to Louis B. Mayer, who arranged training for him at Bell Labs in the technique of adding sound to film. Her brother went on to earn 12 Academy Awards for his sound contributions to MGM.

Shearer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960.

Silent films: 1919–1928

+ Norma Shearer silent filmsTitleYearRoleNotes The Star Boarder 1919 Member of the Beauties SquadVitagraph Studios The Flapper1920 ExtraSelznick Pictures The Stealers 1920Julia MartinRobertson-Cole Studios, Inc. Way Down East 1920Barn dancerUnited Artists The Restless Sex 1920Extra Cosmopolitan Productions The Sign on the Door1921UncreditedEdited outFirst National Pictures Torchy's Millions1921UnknownEducational film The Leather Pushers 1922UnknownUniversal Pictures The Man Who Paid 1922JeanneApfel Productions The Bootleggers1922Helen BarnesAl Gilbert Film Productions Channing of the Northwest 1922Jes DriscollSelznick Pictures A Clouded Name1923Marjorie DareLogan Productions Man and Wife1923Dora PerkinsArrow Film Corporation The Devil's Partner 1923JeanneIroquois Productions Pleasure Mad 1923Elinor BentonMetro Pictures The Wanters 1923MarjorieFirst National Pictures Lucretia Lombard 1923MimiWarner Bros. The Trail of the Law 1923Jerry Vardon Producers Security Corporation The Wolf Man 1924Elizabeth GordonFox Film Blue Water1924Lillian DentonNew Brunswick Films Broadway After Dark 1924Rose DulaneWarner Bros. Broken Barriers1924Grace DurlandMGM Married Flirts1924Herself, cameo appearanceMGM Empty Hands 1924Claire EndicottParamount The Snob 1924Nancy ClaxtonMGM He Who Gets Slapped 1924ConsueloMGM Excuse Me 1925Marjorie NewtonMGM Lady of the Night 1925Molly/FlorenceMGM Waking Up the Town1925Mary Ellen HopeUnited Artists A Slave of Fashion 1925Katherine EmersonMGM Pretty Ladies1925Frances WhiteMGM The Tower of Lies 1925GloryMGM His Secretary 1925Ruth LawrenceMGM The Devil's Circus 1926MaryMGM The Waning Sex1926Nina DuaneMGM Upstage 1926Dolly Haven MGM The Demi-Bride 1927CriquetteMGM After Midnight 1927MaryMGM The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg 1927Kathi MGM The Latest from Paris 1928Ann Dolan MGM The Actress1928Rose TrelawnyMGMShearer's final silent film A Lady of Chance1928DollyMGM

Sound films: 1928–1963

+ Norma Shearer sound filmsTitleYearRoleNotes Voices Across the Sea1928Herself (with other celebrities)MGM shortTelephone call for the opening of Loew's Empire Theatre in London, and premiere of Alias Jimmy Valentine The Trial of Mary Dugan 1929Mary Dugan MGM The Last of Mrs. Cheyney1929 Mrs. Fay CheyneyMGM The Hollywood Revue of 19291929 Herself as JulietMGM Their Own Desire1929 LollyMGM The Divorcee1930Jerry MartinMGMAcademy Award for Best Actress Let Us Be Gay1930Kitty BrownMGM Jackie Cooper's Christmas Party 1931HerselfMGM Strangers May Kiss 1931Lisbeth CorbinMGM A Free Soul1931Jan AsheMGM/Loew's, Inc. Private Lives1931Amanda PrynneMGM The Stolen Jools 1931HerselfReleased in the UK as The Slippery Pearls. National Variety Artists Strange Interlude 1932Nina Leeds EvansMGM Smilin' Through 1932Kathleen Moonyean ClareMGM Hearst Metrotone News1933HerselfHome from vacation abroad Riptide 1934Lady Mary RexfordMGM/Loew's, Inc. The Barretts of Wimpole Street 1934Elizabeth BarrettLoew's Inc., MGM Romeo and Juliet 1936Juliet CapuletMGMCopyright register and world premiere 1936; released generally 1937 Mr. Will Shakespeare 1936HerselfMGMFilm short to publicize Romeo and Juliet Marie Antoinette1938Marie Antoinette MGM Hollywood Goes to Town 1938 HerselfMGMWorld premiere of Marie Antoinette Idiot's Delight1939Irene MGM The Women1939Mrs. Stephen Haines, MaryMGM Escape 1940Countess Ruby von TreckMGM Good Neighbor Day in Movieland - Hollywood, California1941HerselfHearst production footage We Were Dancing 1942Vicki WilomirskaMGM Her Cardboard Lover 1942Consuelo Croyden MGM Anniversary1963Herself and other Canadians in the film industryDocumentary celebrating Canadian contributions to cinema

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