George W. Barbier (November 19, 1864 – July 19, 1945) was an American stage and film actor who appeared in 88 films.

Early life and education

Barbier was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He entered the Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Pennsylvania to study for the ministry but gave it up to go on the stage.

Career

Barbier began his career in light opera and spent several years in repertory and stock companies. He eventually played on Broadway, where he appeared in seven productions between 1922 and 1930, among them The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Front Page and The Man Who Came Back. He signed a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1929 and later worked as a character actor for most of the major studios. His first film was The Big Pond (1930). The weighty, white-haired Barbier often played pompous, but mostly kind-hearted businessmen or patriarchs in supporting roles. George Barbier appeared in 88 films until his death in 1945.

Personal life

Barbier married Caroline "Carrie" Thatcher (June 1868, Pennsylvania – June 8, 1939), a stage actress; theirs was reportedly "one of the most successful marriages in Hollywood." Barbier was originally interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California but was disinterred and reburied in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Complete filmography