Edna Purviance
| Edna Purviance | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Olga Edna Purviance October 21, 1895 Paradise Valley, Nevada, United States |
| Died | January 13, 1958 (aged 62) Hollywood, California, United States |
| Cause of death | Throat cancer |
| Resting place | Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Years active | 1915–1927 |
| Spouse(s) | John P. Squire (m. 1938; d. 1945) |
Edna Purviance (/ˈɛdnə pərˈvaɪəns/; October 21, 1895 – January 13, 1958) was an American actress during the silent movie era. She was the leading lady in many of Charlie Chaplin's early films and in a span of eight years, she appeared in over 30 films with him.
Olga Edna Purviance was born in Paradise Valley, Nevada, to English immigrant Louisa Wright Davey and American vintner to the western mining camps Madison (Matt) Gates Purviance. When she was three, the family moved to Lovelock, Nevada, where they assumed ownership of a hotel. Her parents divorced in 1902, and her mother later married Robert Nurnberger, a German plumber. Growing up, Purviance was a talented pianist.
She left Lovelock in 1913, and moved in with her married sister Bessie while attending business college in San Francisco.
In 1915, Purviance was working as a secretary in San Francisco when actor and director Charlie Chaplin was working on his second film with Essanay Studios, working out of Niles, California, 45 km southeast of San Francisco, in Southern Alameda County. He was looking for a leading lady for A Night Out. One of his associates noticed Purviance at a Tate's Café in San Francisco and thought she should be cast in the role. Chaplin arranged a meeting with her and, although he was concerned that she might be too serious for comedic roles, she won the job.
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