Agnes Ayres

Agnes Ayres

From Wikipedia Agnes Ayres (April 4, 1892 – December 25, 1940) was an American actress who rose to fame during the silent film era. She was known for her role as Lady Diana Mayo in The Sheik and The Son of the Sheik opposite Rudolph Valentino. She was born Agnes Eyre Henkel in Carbondale, Illinois to Solon and Emma Slack Henkel on April 4, 1898. She had an older brother named Solon William Henkel born in 1888. 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. After moving to New York City with her mother to pursue a career in acting, Ayres was spotted by actress Alice Joyce. Joyce noticed the physical resemblance the two shared, which eventually led to Ayres being cast in Richard the Brazen (1917) as Joyce's character's sister. Ayres' career began to gain momentum when Paramount Pictures founder Jesse Lasky began to take an interest in her. Lasky gave her a starring role in the Civil War drama Held by the Enemy (1920), and also lobbied for parts for her in several Cecil B. DeMille productions. It was during this time that Ayres married, and quickly divorced, Captain Frank P. Schuker, an army officer whom she had wed during World War I. She also began a romance with Lasky. In 1921, Ayres shot to stardom when she was cast as Lady Diana Mayo, an English heiress opposite "Latin lover" Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik. Ayres later reprised her role as Lady Diana in the 1926 sequel Son of the Sheik. Following the release of The Sheik, she went on to have major roles in many other films including The Affairs of Anatol (1921) starring Wallace Reid, Forbidden Fruit (1921), and Cecil B. DeMille's epic The Ten Commandments (1923). By 1923, Ayres' career began to wane following the end of her relationship with Jesse Lasky. She married Mexican diplomat S. Manuel Reachi in 1924. The couple had a daughter before divorcing in 1927. In 1929, Ayres lost her fortune and real estate holdings in the Crash of '29. That same year, she also appeared in her last major role in The Donovan Affair, starring Jack Holt. To earn money, she left acting and played the vaudeville circuit. She returned to acting in 1936, confident that she could make a comeback. Unable to secure starring roles and somewhat overweight, Ayres appeared in mostly uncredited bit parts, and finally retired from acting for good in 1937. After her retirement, Ayres became despondent and was eventually committed to a sanatorium. She also lost custody of her daughter to Reachi, in 1939. She died from a cerebral hemorrhage on December 25, 1940 at her home at the age of 42. She is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. For her contribution to motion pictures, Agnes Ayres has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard.
Known For: Acting
Birthday: 1892-04-04
Place of Birth: Carbondale, Illinois, USA
Also Known As: Agnes Eyre Henkel, Agnes Eyre

Movies List of Agnes Ayres

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The Ten Commandments

1923 Movie
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Hollywood

1923 Movie
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The Donovan Affair

1929 Movie
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The Sheik

1921 Movie
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Racing Hearts

1923 Movie
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The Affairs of Anatol

1921 Movie
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The Son of the Sheik

1926 Movie
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Too Much Speed

1921 Movie
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Clarence

1922 Movie
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The Guilty One

1924 Movie
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The Ordeal

1922 Movie
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Eve's Love Letters

1927 Movie
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Mrs. Balfame

1917 Movie
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Sacred Silence

1919 Movie
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Go and Get It

1920 Movie
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Bought and Paid For

1922 Movie
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The Venturers

1917 Movie
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Small Town Girl

1936 Movie
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A Daughter of Luxury

1922 Movie
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Midnight Taxi

1937 Movie
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Morals for Men

1925 Movie
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A Little Ouija Work

1918 Movie
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Forbidden Fruit

1921 Movie
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Detained

1924 Movie
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The Inner Voice

1920 Movie
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Her Market Value

1925 Movie
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The Marriage Maker

1923 Movie
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Don't Call It Love

1924 Movie
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The Love Special

1921 Movie
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The Awful Truth

1925 Movie
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The Heart Raider

1923 Movie
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Cappy Ricks

1921 Movie
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The Love Goddesses

1965 Movie
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The Furnace

1920 Movie
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Held by the Enemy

1920 Movie
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Maid of Salem

1937 Movie
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Motherhood

1917 Movie
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The Debt

1917 Movie
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Mammon and the Archer

1918 Movie