Agnes Ayres Biography: Silent Film Star and Rudolph Valentino’s Muse

Agnes had planned to pursue a career in law, but in 1915, at just 17 years old, she made her film debut with the Essanay Company in Chicago. In 1919, she left Essanay for Fox Studios, moving to New York and gaining popularity with the film Richard the Brazen. The following year, she signed with Paramount Pictures. In 1921, she achieved one of her greatest successes starring alongside Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik, admired by all and becoming one of the most envied actresses of her time. Other notable films include The Affairs of Anatol (1921), Forbidden Fruit (1921), and The Ten Commandments (1923). However, after this peak, her career began to decline.

In 1926, she reunited with Valentino in the sequel The Son of the Sheik. With the advent of sound films, she was destined to be forgotten, as her voice was not suited for talkies. Agnes died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 42 and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard.

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Carla Marinho Leal

Writer, traveler and above all, curious about many subjects. She has studied cinema since 2002 and is a Specialist in Cinematographic Studies from UNICAP. Founder of the blog Purviance and the website Cinemaclássico. She loves Charles Chaplin, Raj Kapoor and constantly browses films from all over the world.

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