Nell Shipman

Nell Shipman was a Canadian actress, author and screenwriter, producer, director, and animal trainer. She was a Canadian pioneer in early Hollywood. She is best known for her work in James Oliver Curwood stories and for portraying strong, adventurous women. In 1919, she and her producer husband, Ernest Shipman, made the most successful silent film in Canadian history, Back to Gods Country in which she did one of the first onscreen nude scenes.

Nell Shipman was born Helen FosterBarham in Victoria, British Columbia. Her family moved to Seattle, Washington when she wasyears old. Nell started stage acting and joined theatrical stock companies before working in film. From an early age, she developed a respect toward animals and later fought for animal rights in Hollywood speaking out against animal cruelty. She rescued as many as she could accommodate and ultimately ended up with her own zoo containing over 200 animals of all sorts. When Nell wasyears old, she met and marriedyear old theatrical impresario, Ernest Shipman .

Source: Wikipedia