Anna Q. Nilsson
Anna Q. Nilsson (Anna Quirentia Nilsson) (March 30, 1888 – February 11, 1974) was a Swedish actress who achieved success in American silent movies.
She was born in Ystad, Skåne län, Sweden. In her teens she emigrated to the USA where she started working as a nursemaid, she learned English quickly and started working as a model. Nilsson's modeling lead her to getting a role in the 1911 film Molly Pitcher. During the silent era she was one of the most popular and successful actresses, appearing in approximately 150 films before the introduction of talking pictures. In her autobiography Gloria Swanson acknowledges Nilsson as the first "real" movie star, and also the first woman to become wealthy on the basis of a film acting career.
With the introduction of sound films, Nilsson's career went into a sharp decline, although she continued to play small, often uncredited parts in films into the 1950s. Her best known sound performance is arguably her turn as "herself", referred to as one of the "waxworks" in Swanson's Sunset Boulevard (1950).
The 'Q' in her name comes from Saint Quirinius' day, March 30, she was named Anna Quirentia Nilsson when born.
Nilsson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to motion pictures at 6150 Hollywood Boulevard. She died in Hemet, California.
References
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- Swanson, Gloria : Swanson on Swanson, The Making of a Hollywood Legend. Hamlyn, 1981. ISBN 0600204960