Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon (born Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson; 19 February 1911 – 23 November 1979) was a British actress who began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933). After her success in The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), she travelled to the United States to make films for Samuel Goldwyn. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Dark Angel (1935). Oberon hid her mixed heritage out of fear of discrimination and the impact it would have had on her career.
Merle Oberon | |
|---|---|
Merle Oberon in 1943 | |
| Born | Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson 19 February 1911 |
| Died | 23 November 1979 (aged 68) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1928–1973 |
| Spouses | Bruno Pagliai
(m. 1957; div. 1973) |
| Children | 2 |
She was perhaps best known for her portrayal of Catherine Earnshaw in the 1939 film adaptation of the novel Wuthering Heights, directed by William Wyler.
Her other notable films are These Three (1936), A Song to Remember (1945), Berlin Express (1948), and Désirée (1954).
A traffic collision in 1937 caused facial injuries that could have ended her career, but she recovered, and remained active in film and television until 1973.