Edna May Nutter was born on November 9th, 1883, in Malden, Massachusetts, to Ida May and Charles Edward Nutter, solidifying her roots in New England. As a descendant of the 2nd American president John Adams and his son, the 6th American president John Quincy Adams, Edna's family heritage was rich in history. Furthermore, her father's stepfather, Samuel Oliver, had a mother named Julia Adams, who was descended from another John Adams born in 1724.
Miss Oliver's fascination with the stage began at an early age, and she quit school at 14 to pursue her ambitions in the theater. Despite abandoning traditional schooling, Edna continued to study the performing arts, including speech and piano. One of her first jobs was as a pianist with an all-female orchestra that toured America around the turn of the century.
By 1917, Edna had achieved success on Broadway in the hit play "Oh, Boy", and by 1923, she had made her film debut. Edna May Oliver seemed destined to play the classics of American and British literature, and some of her most memorable film roles were in adaptations of Charles Dickens' works.
Although she was often typecast in less glamorous roles, such as a spinster, Edna brought a beautiful droll warmth to her characters, lending her comedic talents to her performances. A fine example of her comedic talent can be found in the 1931 film "Laugh and Get Rich", where she played a role almost autobiographical in nature, that of a proud woman with Boston roots who had married "down".
Edna May Oliver married stock broker David Pratt in 1928, but the marriage ended in divorce five years later. In 1939, she received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role as Widow McKlennar in the picture "Drums Along the Mohawk". That was to be one of her last films.
Miss Oliver was struck ill in August 1942, and although she seemed to recover briefly, she was re-admitted to Los Angeles's Cedars of Lebanon hospital in October. Her dear friend actress Virginia Hammond flew out from New York to stay by her bedside. Edna May Oliver died on her 59th birthday, November 9th, 1942, with Virginia Hammond by her side, saying, "She died without ever being aware of the gravity of her condition. She just went peacefully asleep."
