Actress. She is best remembered for her portrayals of the villainous Fraulein Rottenmeier in "Heidi" (1937) and the respectable Margaret Lord in "The Philadelphia Story" (1940). Born unto the family of wealth and position, the eldest of two daughters born unto the prestigious lawyer James H. Ryan, upon completing her formal education at the Covent of St. Anne in Montreal, Canada, she enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, New York. Upon attaining her degree in theatrical arts, and altering her name to Mary Nash as too avert a complication with the established stage performer Mary Ryan, she began her career appearing as a leading lady in James M. Barrie's "Alice Sit By the Fire" (1905). While attending a birthday party at the home of her colleague and friend, fellow actress Ethel Barrymore, she was introduced to director George Fitzmaurice. Impressed by her charm, poise, and professionalism, he arranged for her to begin a career in the film industry beginning with her being under his supervision in "Arms and the Woman" (1916). From there, she began to divide her time between the Broadway stage and Hollywood, California, becoming a successful and familiar character actress, often typecast as wives, mothers, aristocrats, governesses, educators, nurses, eccentrics, wealthy widows, secretaries, old maids, faithful servants, devoted housekeepers, businesswomen, kindly neighbors, landlords, white-collared workers, wholesome grandmothers, and matriarchs. She appeared in such feature films as "Uncertain Lady" (1934), "College Scandal" (1935), "Come and Get It" (1936), "The King and the Chorus Girl" (1937), "Wells Fargo" (1937), "Easy Living" (1937), "The Rains Came" (1939), "The Little Princess" (1939), "Charlie Chan in Panama" (1940), "Sailor's Lady" (1940), "Gold Rush Maisie" (1940), "Men of Boys Town" (1941), "Calling Dr. Gillespie" (1942), "The Human Comedy" (1943), "The Lady and the Monster" (1944), "In The Meantime, Darling" (1944), "Cobra Woman" (1944), "Yolanda and the Thief" (1945), "Monsieur Beaucaire" (1946), "Till the Clouds Roll By" (1946), and "Swell Guy" (1946). During her career, she was an honorary member of Actors Equity, was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was the older sister of fellow character actress Florence Nash, had been a regular parishioner within the Catholic church, was an active member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, presided on the council of her local charters of the American Red Cross and the March of Dimes, was a theatrical instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, and she married to French actor Jose Ruben for a brief time in 1918 (their marriage was lasted a mere two months and dissolved in divorce). After retiring from acting in 1946, Nash spent the remainder of her life dividing time between her homes in Brentwood, California, and Menands, New York, painted in oils, journaled, and was a prominent benefactor for several state parks, schools, libraries, and museums, until her death from the complications of advanced age.