Born 1892 in Carbondale, Illinois, American actress Agnes Ayres began her career in 1914 when she was noticed by an Essanay Studios staff director and cast as an extra in a crowd scene. She rose to fame during the period of silent films, and known for her role as Lady Diana Mayo in The Sheik opposite Rudolph Valentino.
Ayres later reprised her role as Lady Diana in the 1926 sequel The Son of the Sheik. Following the release of The Sheik, she had major roles in many other films, including The Affairs of Anatol (1921) starring Wallace Reid, Forbidden Fruit (1921), and Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1923).
Ayres lost her fortune and real estate holdings in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. To earn money, she left acting and played the vaudeville circuit. She returned to acting in 1936, confident that she could make a comeback — but, unable to secure starring roles, and somewhat overweight, Ayres appeared in mostly uncredited parts and finally retired from acting in 1937.
After her retirement, Ayres became despondent and was eventually committed to a sanatorium. She died in 1940, at her home in Hollywood, California, aged 48. In 1960, she was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a motion pictures star at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard for her contributions to the film industry.
Take a look at these gorgeous photos to see portrait of a young Agnes Ayres in the 1920s.
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