Actor
Lillian Gish
Born 14 October 1893 · Springfield, Ohio, USA — died 27 February 1993
Lillian Gish (1893–1993) was an American actress whose screen career lasted 75 years. She became one of the great stars of silent cinema, closely tied to director D.W. Griffith, and later returned in occasional sound-era roles. Her expressive, emotionally intense style helped shape screen acting.
Key films
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
Griffith's landmark epic made her a star, though its racist content remains deeply controversial.
Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl (1919)
Her fragile, heartbreaking performance in Griffith's tragic melodrama is among the most celebrated of the silent era.
Way Down East (1920)
A major Griffith hit, famous for her ordeal on the ice floe sequence.
The Wind (1928)
A late silent classic in which she carries the film as a woman unravelling in the harsh frontier.
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Her sound-era standout, as a steadfast protector of children in Charles Laughton's celebrated thriller.
Key awards
- 1971: Honorary Academy Award
- 1984: AFI Life Achievement Award
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 140
- 1912The Musketeers of Pig Alley · as The Little LadyActor
- 1912The New York Hat · as Customer in Shop / Outside ChurchActor
- 1912An Unseen Enemy · as Eldest SisterActor
- 1912The Painted Lady · as Belle at Ice Cream FestivalActor
- 1912The Burglar’s Dilemma · as Birthday WellwisherActor
- 1912My BabyActor
- 1912So Near, Yet So Far · as A FriendActor
- 1912The Informer · as Walk on roleActor
- 1912The One She LovedActor
- 1912A Cry for Help · as The MaidActor
- 1912Brutality · as At TheatreActor
- 1912Gold and Glitter · as The Young WomanActor
- 1912Two Daughters of Eve · as In Theatre CrowdActor
- 1912In the Aisles of the Wild · as The Younger DaughterActor
- 1913The Mothering Heart · as The WifeActor
- 1913The Battle at Elderbush Gulch · as Melissa HarlowActor
- 1913The House of Darkness · as The NurseActor
- 1913A Timely Interception · as The Farmer's DaughterActor
- 1913The Unwelcome Guest · as At Auction (uncredited)Actor
- 1913The Little Tease · as Girl in bandanaActor
- 1913The Left-Handed Man · as The Old Soldier's DaughterActor
- 1913The Blue or the GrayActor
- 1913Oil and Water · as In First Audience (uncredited)Actor
- 1913The Stolen BrideActor
- 1913An Indian's Loyalty · as The Ranchero's DaughterActor
- 1913A Woman in the Ultimate · as VerdaActor
- 1913The Conscience of Hassan Bey · as The Rugmaker's DaughterActor
- 1913So Runs the Way · as Fred's WifeActor
- 1913A Modest Hero · as The WifeActor
- 1913During the Round-Up · as The Ranchero's DaughterActor
- 1913Just Gold · as The First Brother's SweetheartActor
- 1913The Lady and the Mouse · as The First SisterActor
- 1913A Misunderstood Boy · as The DaughterActor
- 1913Madonna of the Storm · as The MotherActor
- 1914Judith of Bethulia · as The Young MotherActor
- 1914Home, Sweet Home · as Payne's SweetheartActor
- 1914A Duel for LoveActor
- 1914The Green-Eyed Devil · as Mary MillerActor
- 1914The QuicksandsActor
- 1914Lord Chumley · as Eleanor ButterworthActor
- 1914The Angel of Contention · as Nettie - the AngelActor
- 1914Man's Enemy · as Grace LisleActor
- 1914The Folly of Anne · as AnneActor
- 1914The Rebellion of Kitty Belle · as Kitty BelleActor
- 1914The Tear That Burned · as Anita - the TruantActor
- 1914The Sisters · as MayActor
- 1914The Hunchback · as The Orphan - as an AdultActor
- 1914The Battle of the Sexes · as Jane Andrews, the daughterActor
- 1915The Birth of a Nation · as Stoneman's Daughter ElsieActor
- 1915Enoch Arden · as Annie LeeActor
- 1915His Lesson · as Participant in Mob Scene (uncredited)Actor
- 1915The Lost House · as Dosia DaleActor
- 1915Captain Macklin · as BeatriceActor
- 1915The Lily and the Rose · as Mary RandolphActor
- 1916Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages · as The Woman Who Rocks the CradleActor
- 1916Sold for Marriage · as MarfaActor
- 1916Daphne and the Pirate · as Daphne La TourActor
- 1916Pathways of LifeActor
- 1916An Innocent Magdalene · as Dorothy RaleighActor
- 1916Diane of the Follies · as DianeActor
- 1916The Children Pay · as MillicentActor
- 1916The House Built Upon Sand · as Evelyn DareActor
- 1917Souls Triumphant · as Lillian ValeActor
- 1918Hearts of the World · as The Girl - Marie StephensonActor
- 1918Lillian Gish in a Liberty Loan AppealActor
- 1918The Great Love · as Susie BroadplainsActor
- 1918The Greatest Thing in Life · as Jeannette PeretActor
- 1919Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl · as Lucy BurrowsActor
- 1919True Heart Susie · as Susie May TrueheartActor
- 1919A Romance of Happy Valley · as Jennie TimberlakeActor
- 1919The Greatest Question · as Nellie JarvisActor
- 1920Way Down East · as Anna MooreActor
- 1920Remodeling Her HusbandDirector
- 1921Orphans of the Storm · as Henriette GirardActor
- 1921Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20) · as HerselfActor
- 1922From Farm to Fame · as Lillian GishActor
- 1923The White Sister · as Angela ChiaromonteActor
- 1924Romola · as RomolaActor
- 1925Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ · as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)Actor
- 1926La Bohème · as MimiActor
- 1927The Scarlet Letter · as Hester PrynneActor
- 1927Annie Laurie · as Annie LaurieActor
- 1927The Enemy · as Pauli ArndtActor
- 1928The Wind · as LettyActor
- 1930One Romantic Night · as Princess AlexandraActor
- 1932The Movie Album · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1933His Double Life · as Alice ChaliceActor
- 1942Commandos Strike at Dawn · as Mrs. BergesenActor
- 1943Top Man · as Beth WarrenActor
- 1946Duel in the Sun · as Laura Belle McCanlesActor
- 1946Miss Susie Slagle's · as Miss Susie SlagleActor
- 1948Portrait of Jennie · as Mother Mary of MercyActor
- 1953The Trip to Bountiful · as Carrie WattsActor
- 1955The Night of the Hunter · as Rachel CooperActor
- 1955The Cobweb · as Victoria InchActor
- 1955Film Fun · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1958Orders to Kill · as Mrs. SummersActor
- 1960The Unforgiven · as Mattilda ZacharyActor
- 1961The Spiral Staircase · as Mrs. WarrenActor
- 1961The Legend of Rudolph Valentino · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1962The Great ChaseActor
- 1963Mrs. Winchester's House · as NarratorActor
- 1966Follow Me, Boys! · as Hetty SeibertActor
- 1967The Comedians · as Mrs. SmithActor
- 1967Warning Shot · as Alice WillowsActor
- 1967The Comedians in Africa · as Self (uncredited)Actor
- 1967Lionpower from MGM · as Self - Mrs. Smith (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1969Arsenic and Old Lace · as Martha BrewsterActor
- 1970Langlois · as SelfActor
- 1974Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1975D.W. Griffith: An American Genius · as SelfActor
- 1975Black Shadows on a Silver Screen · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1976Twin Detectives · as Billy Jo HaskinsActor
- 1978A Wedding · as Nettie SloanActor
- 1978Sparrow · as WidowActor
- 1981Thin Ice · as GrandmotherActor
- 1982Night of 100 Stars · as SelfActor
- 1983Hambone and Hillie · as Hillie RadcliffeActor
- 1983Hobson's Choice · as Miss Molly WinkleActor
- 1984Lillian Gish · as SelfActor
- 1985Night of 100 Stars II · as SelfActor
- 1986Sweet Liberty · as Cecelia BurgessActor
- 1986The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn · as Mrs LoftusActor
- 1986Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1987The Whales of August · as Sarah WebberActor
- 1987Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 1988Lillian Gish: The Actor's Life for Me · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1993The Making of 'The Birth of a Nation' · as Self (Archive footage)Actor
- 1995The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1995Moving Pictures: 'The Night of the Hunter' · as SelfActor
- 1998Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists · as Lucy - The Girl (archive footage)Actor
- 2002D.W. Griffith - Years of Discovery 1909-1913Actor
- 2008Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2009Early Directors on Directing · as SelfActor
- 2010Sigrid Holmquist · as Sigrid Holmquist (archive footage)Actor
- 2011Night HunterActor
- 2014Discovering: Robert Mitchum · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2016The Women Who Run Hollywood · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2019I Am Not a Racist · as Elsie (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 2021The Flapper · as (archive footage)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.