Actress. She was best known for playing the character roles of fortune tellers, servants, single women, married women, and distinguished ladies, usually for Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Studio and other production companies such as Popular Plays & Players, Astra, Arrow, Tribune, and Pathé. She will be best remembered for playing the role of 'Miss Havisham' in the classic romantic film drama, "Great Expectations" (1934). The film which was directed by Stuart Walker, which was written for the screen by Gladys Unger, which was based on the written work by Charles Dickens, and which also starred Henry Hull, Phillips Holmes, Jane Wyatt, Alan Hake, Francis L. Sullivan, Harry Cording, and Eily Malyon, tells the story of nine-year-old 'Pip' Pirrip, an orphan living with relatives, who aids and befriends an escaped convict on the moors, an act that will have a profound effect on his life. She will also be best remembered for playing the role of 'Andromache's Servant' in an episode entitled "Iliad," of the musical historical television series drama, "Omnibus," which originally aired on April 3, 1955, and which also starred Alistair Cooke, Sorrell Booke, and Roger Evan Boxill. She was born to actor-manager Roland Lewis Reed (1852-1901), and his wife Johanna Sommer Reed (1850-1927), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 10, 1880, another source says January 10, 1883. Her father Roland passed away in Manhattan, New York, on March 13, 1901, at the age of 48, she and her mother moved to New York City, New York, where she pursued an acting career on the stage. She made her acting debut on the stage at the famous Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York and went onto have a long apprenticeship as a member of a stock company beginning in 1901. While with the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York, she toured as actor E.H. Sothern's leading lady, playing 'Katherine de Vaucelles' in "If I Were King", 'Dulcinea' in "Don Quixote" and 'Ophelia' in "Hamlet." She also gave a monologue by impresario George M. Cohan (1878-1942), and trouped the country with actress May Irwin (1862-1938), in "The Widow Jones." She also appeared on the Broadway stage in New York, New York, in several productions of such plays as 'Felicity Jones' in "The Widow Jones" (December 23, 1901, to January 25, 1902), as Pamela Gordon' in "Girls" (February 08, 1909, to February 1909), as 'Anne' in "Seven Days" (November 10, 1909, to October 1910), as a Performer in "The Typhoon" (March 11, 1912, to June 1912), as 'Bettina' in "The Master Of The House" (August 22, 1912, to November 1912), as part of the Chorus in "The Firefly" (December 02, 1912, to March 15, 1913), as a Performer in "The Painted Woman" (March 05, 1913, to March 1913), as 'Mona Fitzgerald' in "The Girl And The Pennant" (October 23, 1913, to November 1913), as 'Marya Varenka' in "The Yellow Ticket" (January 20, 1914, to June 1914), as a Performer in "A Celebrated Case" (April 07, 1915, to September 1915), as a Performer in "The Wanderer" (February 01, 1917, to May 1917), as 'Zahrat-Al-Huda' in "Chu Chin Chow" (October 22, 1917, to April 27, 1918), as 'Rosetta Clare' in "Roads Of Destiny" (November 27, 1918, to February 1919), as 'Mrs. Irene Moreland' in "The Mirage" (September 30, 1920, to March 1921), as 'Daisy' in "East Of Suez" (September 21, 1922, to December 1922), as 'Isabella Echevaria' in "Hail And Farewell" (February 19, 1923, to March 1923), as 'The Old Woman' and 'Madelon' in "The Lullaby" (September 17, 1923, to January 1924), as 'Marjorie Lane' in "Ashes" (October 20, 1924, to November 1924), as 'Mother Goddam' in "The Shanghai Gesture" (February 01, 1926, to September 1926, and February 13, 1928, to February 1928), as Lady Macbeth' in "Macbeth" (November 19, 1928, to January 1929), as 'Victoire' in "Purity" (December 25, 1930, to January 1931), as 'Christine Mannon' in "Mourning Becomes Electra" (May 09, 1932, to May 21, 1932), as 'Patricia Westervail' in "Thoroughbred" (November 06, 1933, to November 27, 1933), as 'Nurse To Juliet' in "Romeo And Juliet" (December 23, 1935, to January 04, 1936), as 'Hannah Arnold' in "A Point Of Honor" (February 11, 1937, to February 1937), as 'Mrs. Clivedon-Banks' in "Outward Bound" (December 22, 1938, to July 22, 1939), as 'Mama' in "The Flying Gerardos" (December 29, 1940, to January 18, 1941), as 'Fortune Teller' in "The Skin Of Our Teeth" (November 18, 1942, to September 25, 1943, and August 17, 1955, to September 03, 1955), as 'Mrs. Danvers' in "Rebecca" (January 18, 1945, to February 03, 1945), as 'Paulina' in "The Winter's Tale" (January 15, 1946, to February 16, 1946), as 'Nurse' in "Medea" (October 20, 1947, to May 15, 1948), as 'Queen Margaret' in "Richard III" (December 09, 1953, to December 20, 1953), and as 'Amy' in "The Family Reunion" (October 20, 1958, to November 16, 1958). During this time she also made the transition to appearing in both silent films and talking films. She made her actual film debut playing the role of 'Drusilla Ives' in the film drama "The Dancing Girl" (1915). The film which was directed by Allan Dwan, which was written for the screen by Henry Arthur Jones, and which also starred Fuller Mellish, Lorraine Huling, Malcolm Williams, William Russell, Eugene Ormonde, William Lloyd, and Minna Gale, tells the story of Drusilla Ives, a young Quaker girl living on an isolated island, who leaves to become the servant of the spendthrift Duke of Guisenberry in London, England, who is the Lord of her village. She finds that she is attracted to the bustling city's nightlife, and when the duke discovers that she is a fine dancer, he helps her turn professional. In short order, she becomes known as Diana Valrose, the city's favorite dancer. Unfortunately, her strict father and her Quaker fiancee, John Christison, back on the island find out about her newfound fame and career and strongly disapprove--her father places a curse on her and her boyfriend marries her sister Faith. Complications ensue. Besides, playing the leading role of 'Drusilla Ives' in the film drama "The Dancing Girl" (1915), and playing the role of 'Miss Havisham' in the classic romantic film drama, "Great Expectations" (1934), her many other film credits include, "Her Own Way" (1915), "The Cowardly Way" (1915), "At Bay" (1915), "New York" (1916), "The Woman's Law" (1916), "The Eternal Sin" (1917), "To-Day" (1917), "The Struggling Everlasting" (1918), "Wives Of Men" (1918), "Her Code Of Honor" (1919), "The Woman Under Oath" (1919), "Her Game" (1919), "The Eternal Mother" (1920), "The Black Panther's Club" (1921), "The Iron Mule" (1925), "Frankie And Johnnie" (1936), and "Stage Door" (1937). Besides, playing the role of 'Andromache's Servant' in an episode entitled "Iliad," of the musical historical television series drama, "Omnibus," which originally aired in 1955, her many other television credits include, "The Philco Television Playhouse," "Colgate Theatre," "Lights Out," "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse," "Broadway Television Theatre," "Armstrong Circle Theatre," "Producers' Showcase," and "Kraft Theatre." Her last television appearance was playing the role of 'Mrs. Cartey' in an episode entitled "You Can't Have Everything," of the comedy television series drama, "The United States Steel Hour," which originally aired on January 27, 1960, and which also starred Piper Laurie, Donald Moffat, and Ronald Radd. On an interesting note, she was elected to the Actors Equity Council Board in 1918, and for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Birthday Celebration on January 29, 1939, she and actress Laurette Taylor (1887-1946), did a command performance from their Broadway success, "Outward Bound." Also, her impressive stage career lasted for over 58 years, and she is an honored member of the American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City, New York. She passed away at her home at the Percy Williams Convalescent Wing in East Islip, New York, on November 21, 1967, at the age of 84 or 87. Following her death, her funeral service and a requiem mass were held at St. Malachy's Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan, New York, and she is buried in the Actors Fund Plot in the same grave as her friend actress Blanche Yurka (1887-1974), in Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. She was married to actor Malcolm Edgar Williams (1870-1937), from February 1908, until his death on June 10, 1937. The couple who had no children often appeared together in stage productions. Her grandfather, John "Pop" Reed, was for many decades the gas man at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, gained a small foothold in American theatrical legend by bequeathing the theatre his skull to be used in performances of "Hamlet."