# Last Actors to appear in the 1890s and 1900s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2016, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-actors-to-appear-in-the-1890s-and-1900s/769015 "2016-10-19T08:32:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hingle\_McCringleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7c8e57/32.png) [@Hingle\_McCringleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hingle_McCringleberry)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-actors-to-appear-in-the-1890s-and-1900s/769015/1 "2016-10-19T08:32:51Z")
As of October 19, 2016 there is only one living actor that I know of who appeared in a movie from the 1910s: Fay McKenzie, who appeared in the 1918 movie “Station Content” as a baby. Now that we’re moving out of the 1910s, I was starting to wonder who were the last actors to appear in a movie from the 1890s and 1900s. After a bit of research, these two are the latest actors that I could find for each decade: 1890s: Harold Smith VIII (1889-1975), appeared in the 1898 movie “Santa Clause”. 1900s: Barbara Hepworth (1904-1997), appeared in “Rescued by Rover” in 1905 and in “The Dog Outwits the Kidnapper” in 1908. Did anyone live longer than these two :dubious: ? ---
**Author:** ![Hingle\_McCringleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7c8e57/32.png) [@Hingle\_McCringleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hingle_McCringleberry)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-actors-to-appear-in-the-1890s-and-1900s/769015/2 "2020-05-17T06:43:28Z")
As an update, 1910s: Don Marion Davis (b. 1917) is the last former actor to appear in a movie during the 1910s, having been in 3 shorts made in 1919. He is preceded by Fay McKenzie (1918-2019), who is mentioned above as appearing in an 1918 movie. Interestingly, her film career lasted a full 100 years, having made her last filmed appearance in a project in 2018. This surely has to be one of the longest known careers in this field. 1900s: I have still not found another performer from this decade that has outlived Barbara Hepworth (1904-1997) who appeared in two shorts between 1905-08. 1890s: I have found an actor named Colin Williamson (1887-1976) who appeared in 3 shorts made in 1898. He is the latest surviving actor from this decade I know of right now. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-actors-to-appear-in-the-1890s-and-1900s/769015/3 "2020-05-17T16:27:17Z")
Let’s move this to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-actors-to-appear-in-the-1890s-and-1900s/769015/4 "2020-05-17T21:56:30Z")
ironically a Reddit TIL started just an hour ago on Fay. > **[r/todayilearned - TIL about Fay McKenzie whose movie career lasted 100 years....](https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/glmbdt/til_about_fay_mckenzie_whose_movie_career_lasted/)** > > 21,608 votes and 169 comments so far on Reddit ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-actors-to-appear-in-the-1890s-and-1900s/769015/5 "2020-05-19T16:12:54Z")
Norman Lloyd is 105 and still acting. Best known for St. Elsewhere and Dead Poets Society. He did not act until the 1930s.