Madame Sul-Te-Wan | |
|---|---|
 Madame Sul-Te-Wan in 1919 | |
| Born | Nellie Crawford March 7, 1873 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | February 1, 1959 (aged 85) |
| Resting place | Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Other names |
|
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1915–1958 |
| Spouses | Robert Reed Conley
(m. 1906, divorced)Anton Ebentheuer
(m. 1950; div. 1953) |
| Children | 3, including Onest Conley |
Madame Sul-Te-Wan (born Nellie Crawford; March 7, 1873 – February 1, 1959) was the first African-American actress to sign a film contract and be a featured performer.[1] She was an American stage, film and television actress for over 50 years. The daughter of former slaves, she began her career in entertainment touring the East Coast with various theatrical companies and moved to California to become a member of the fledgling film community. She became known as a character actress, appeared in high-profile films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), and easily navigated the transition to the sound films.
In 1986, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
- ^ Lowe, Denise. An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films, Haworth Press, p. 504, (2005) ISBN 0-7890-1843-8