Norma Shearer

Norma Shearer, born Edith Norma Shearer, was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. She began her acting career as a bit player in Broadway productions. In 1923, she was discovered by Irving Thalberg of MGM, who she later married. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. By 1927 she had become a popular leading lady, and was given the privilege of selecting her scripts and directors. Shearer was nominated for five Academy Awards: Their Own Desire (1929), A Free Soul (1931), The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934), Romero and Juliet (1936), and Marie Antoinette (1938). In 1930 she won an Oscar for The Divorcee. Shearer made several poor career choices when she turned down leading roles in Gone With the Wind and Mrs. Miniver. She retired from acting in 1942 after several box office failures.