Nance O’Neil was a celebrated actress, especially known for her portrayal of tragic characters in the early 1900s. She often drew comparisons to legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt. O’Neil also had a close but brief friendship with Lizzie Borden that some later speculated—without proof—was romantic in nature.
O’Neil was born Gertrude Lamson in 1874 and grew up in California. She developed an interest in acting at an early age and made her professional debut in San Francisco in 1893. She later toured the country, and in 1909 she landed her first major role in New York City, playing a heartbroken spinster in The Lily. O’Neil earned arguably the best reviews of her career in 1920 for her performance in The Passion Flower. She also appeared in a number of Shakespearean plays and was cast in the title role in Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler.
While on tour in Boston in 1904, O’Neil met Lizzie Borden, who had been acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother in 1893. The two women developed a close relationship. Borden entertained O’Neil and other actors at her Maplecroft mansion in Fall River, Massachusetts. In addition, there were reports that Borden provided financial assistance to O’Neil. Some later speculated that their relationship was sexual, though the claim was never substantiated. In 1905 Lizzie and her older sister, Emma, had a falling out, and Emma left Maplecroft. Some believe the dispute was caused by Emma’s disapproval of O’Neil. The sisters remained estranged until their deaths. Lizzie and O’Neil also drifted apart as the actress continued the tour with her theater company.
In 1916 O’Neil married Alfred Hickman. She died in 1965 at the age of 90.