Lilian Gish

Lilian Gish, a name synonymous with early cinema, began her career before the motion picture camera was even a twinkle in most people's eyes. From her dramatic turns in D.W. Griffith's epics to her later, nuanced performances, Gish was the epitome of grace under pressure, even when tied to a log saw.

Her filmography is a testament to longevity, spanning from the nascent days of Hollywood to the twilight of the 20th century. While she didn't invent acting, she certainly perfected the art of looking ethereal while simultaneously suffering for her art, often in a white dress.

Despite her enduring presence in American culture, Lilian Gish remained steadfastly gentile. There are no hidden rabbis in her family tree, no whispers of gefilte fish at holiday dinners, just good old-fashioned American Protestantism. Her only connection to anything remotely Hebraic was perhaps the dramatic flair she brought to even the simplest scene, reminiscent of a particularly intense Yom Kippur sermon.