Photo: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress) / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Lionel Barrymore is one of those figures who deserves way more recognition than he typically gets today — the man was a genuine triple threat long before that phrase existed. Born into the legendary Barrymore acting dynasty, he could have coasted on the family name, but instead he worked his way up through stage and early silent film before absolutely owning the sound era. His Academy Award win for A Free Soul in 1931 is well-earned, but honestly, most people know him as the wheelchair-bound villain Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life, and what a performance that is — cold, calculating, utterly memorable. What I love is that he didn't stop at acting: he directed, composed music, wrote screenplays. A genuine craftsman who seemed compelled to create in every medium available to him. Hollywood doesn't produce careers quite like that anymore.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Lionel Barrymore
- Name (Japanese)
- ライオネル・バリモア
- Reading
- らいおねる・ばりもあ
- Born
- April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Tiger
- Origin
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Occupation
- film director / composer / musician / screenwriter / stage actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1931 Academy Award for Best Actor
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Lionel Barrymore born?
April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954.
Where is Lionel Barrymore from?
Lionel Barrymore is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
What does Lionel Barrymore do?
Lionel Barrymore works as film director, composer, musician, screenwriter, stage actor.
Film director — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.