William Powell

William Powell was an American actor for almost four decades in the mid-20th century.

• Eileen Wilson 1915-1930WilliamPowell.org: Facts
• Carole Lombard 1931-1933WilliamPowell.org: Facts
• Diana Lewis 1940-1984WilliamPowell.org: Facts

Powell graduated in 1912 from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and began his career on stage, with roles in both dramas and musicals. In 1922, while playing the part of Javier in Spanish Love, he was offered his first film role, that of playing a villain in Sherlock Holmes with John Barrymore. That role, as Fortnum Wells, was the first of many villains he would play on screen. He also had the opportunity to perform with many of the top actresses of the day, including Carole Lombard who would become his second wife in 1931. His career included roles in films such as The Thin Man, The Great Ziegfeld and Life with Father. Powell retired after Mister Roberts in 1955.Yahoo! Movies: William Powell Biography

• 1922: Foreman Wells - Sherlock Holmes
• 1934: Nick - The Thin Man
• 1944: William S. Whitley - The Heavenly Body
• 1947: Nick Charles - Song of the Thin Man

"There is more money in being liked by an audience than in being disliked by it. The biggest thing about movie audiences is the sympathy they give characters on the screen. But the art of acting and the talent of selecting what one will act are divorced qualities."William Powell.org: William Powell Quotes