BIO

Constance Collier was born Laura Constance Hardie in Windsor, Berkshire, England, in 1878.   Her parents were actors and Collier made her stage debut at the age of 3.

She made her West End debut in 1889, at the age of 11.   She appeared in another 25 productions through 1928.

Collier made several tours of the U.S., making her Broadway debut in 1909, at the age of 31.   In her New York stage career, she appeared in at least 22 Broadway productions between 1909 and 1942.

She starred in her first motion picture in 1916 for Oliver Morosco Photoplay, at the age of 38, and appeared in two more U.S. pictures that year before returning to England.   Collier starred in 3 British silent films in the early 1920s and also began having several of the plays she had written produced on film, but her main focus was on her stage career.

She returned to Los Angeles in 1935 and thereafter remained in the U.S., alternating between Broadway and Hollywood.   After more than 25 features, her last film was released in 1949.

Collier was a drama coach for many famous actors, including Katharine Hepburn during her world tour performing Shakespeare in the 1950's.

She married the actor Julian L’Estrange in 1912 until his death from Spanish Influenza in 1918.

Collier died in New York City in 1955.   She was 78 years old.

Additional English stage history is available at:

Additional Broadway stage history is available at:

Additional biographical information is available at:

Complete filmography at: