Edna Purviance began working as a stenographer in San Francisco. Charles Chaplin invited her to join him at Essanay Studio in 1915, the year of her film debut in Chaplin's His Night Out. Over the next seven years she appeared as his leading lady in over 20 Chaplin films made by Essanay, Mutual, and First National, including the classics The Tramp ...
Mr. Chaplin [Charles Chaplin] asked me if I would like to act in pictures with him. I laughed at the idea, but agreed to try it. I guess he took me because I had nothing to unlearn and he could teach me in his own way. I want to tell you that I suffered untold agonies. Eyes seemed to be everywhere. I was simply frightened to death. But he had unlimited patience in directing me and teaching me.
According to a 1920 census, she was neighbors with William Desmond Taylor around the time of his murder. Douglas MacLean and his wife were living nearby as well.
3
Her relationship with Charles Chaplin became, at one point, romantic as well as professional (1915-1917). However, it was abruptly over after he was forced into a shotgun wedding with teenager Mildred Harris. Nevertheless, Purviance continued to be his leading lady. Her sweet, girlish counterbalance to his rambunctious antics had become a marketable commodity. It was speculated that if they had married, Chaplin could have been spared much of the domestic troubles and scandals that would plague him later in his life.
4
After her retirement in 1926, Charles Chaplin kept her on his payroll for decades, showing her much more concern and consideration than he did to any of his former wives.
5
Interred at Grand View Memorial Park, Glendale, California, USA, in the West Mausoleum.
6
Was Charles Chaplin's female lead for more films than any other actress in Chaplin's career.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Limelight
1952
Mrs. Parker (uncredited)
Monsieur Verdoux
1947
Garden Party Guest (uncredited)
Éducation de prince
1927
La reine Liska de Silistrie
A Woman of the Sea
1926
Joan
A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate
1923
Marie St. Clair
The Pilgrim
1923
The Girl
Pay Day
1922/I
Short
Foreman's Daughter
The Idle Class
1921
Short
Neglected Wife
The Kid
1921
The Woman
A Day's Pleasure
1919
Short
Mother
Sunnyside
1919
Short
Village Belle
Shoulder Arms
1918
The Girl
The Bond
1918
Short
Charlie's Wife / Liberty
Triple Trouble
1918
Short
Maid (uncredited)
A Dog's Life
1918
Short
Bar Singer (uncredited)
How to Make Movies
1918
Short
Actress (uncredited)
The Adventurer
1917/I
Short
The Girl
The Immigrant
1917
Short
Immigrant
The Cure
1917
Short
The Girl
Easy Street
1917
Short
The Mission Worker
The Rink
1916
Short
The Girl
Behind the Screen
1916
Short
The Girl
The Pawnshop
1916
Short
His daughter
The Count
1916
Short
Miss Moneybags
The Vagabond
1916
Short
Gypsy drudge
The Fireman
1916
Short
Girl
The Floorwalker
1916
Short
Secretary
Police
1916
Short
The Girl
A Burlesque on Carmen
1915
Short
Carmen
Burlesque on Carmen
1915
Short
Carmen - the Gypsy (uncredited)
A Night in the Show
1915
Short
Lady in the Stalls with Beads (uncredited)
Shanghaied
1915/I
Short
Daughter of the Shipowner (uncredited)
The Bank
1915
Short
Stenographer
A Woman
1915
Short
Daughter of the House (uncredited)
Work
1915
Short
Maid (uncredited)
By the Sea
1915
Short
Wife of Man in Top Hat (uncredited)
The Tramp
1915
Short
Farmer's Daughter (uncredited)
A Jitney Elopement
1915
Short
Edna
In the Park
1915
Short
Nursemaid (uncredited)
The Champion
1915
Short
Trainer's Daughter (uncredited)
A Night Out
1915/I
Short
Headwaiter's Wife (uncredited)
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Charlie's Life
1916
Documentary
Various
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
La naissance de Charlot
2013
TV Movie documentary
Herself
Spisok korabley
2008
Documentary
Why Be Good? Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
2007
Documentary
Herself
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin
2003
Documentary
Various Roles (uncredited)
Biography
1998
TV Series documentary
Herself
Chaplin's Goliath
1996
Documentary
Herself
The Celluloid Closet
1995
Documentary
Kissed by David While Dressed as a Boy (uncredited)
Unknown Chaplin
1983
TV Mini-Series documentary
In Out-Takes / Herself & In Out-Takes
Charlie Chaplin: The Little Tramp
1980
TV Movie documentary
Actress in 'The Tramp'
The Funniest Man in the World
1967
Documentary
Herself
Charlie gegen ALLE
1963
Farmer's Daughter / Stenographer / Maid / ...
30 Years of Fun
1963
Hollywood: The Golden Years
1961
TV Movie documentary
Actress 'The Pawnshop' (uncredited)
Days of Thrills and Laughter
1961
Documentary
Herself
The Chaplin Revue
1959
Various
The Chaplin Cavalcade
1941
Various roles
The Charlie Chaplin Festival
1941
Various Roles
Charlie Chaplin Carnival
1938
Various roles
Chase Me Charlie
1918
Edna Sugar-Plum
The Essanay-Chaplin Revue of 1916
1916
The Farmer's Daughter / Her Sister
Known for movies
The Kid (1921) as The Woman
A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923) as Marie St. Clair
$20 Million
