Marguerite Leslie

Marguerite Leslie, born Marguerite Hedman on April 3, 1884, in Östersund, Jämtland County, Sweden, was a Swedish-born actress who built a career across European and American stages. She died in 1958. Her father was Johan Hedman and her mother was Ingrid Kempe. Her sister, Martha Hedman, also pursued a career as an actress before later working as a writer. The two sisters received their education in Sweden, Finland, and London.

Leslie established her professional stage identity in London, where she adopted the surname Leslie in place of her birth name, Hedman. Her London appearances included Nero and The Beauty of Bath, both in 1906, followed by My Darling, Concerning a Countess, and A Scotch Marriage in 1907 and into 1908. She continued on the London stage with Penelope in 1909, Preserving Mr. Panmure and The Marionettes in 1911 and into 1912, and At the Barn and The Vision of Delight in 1912.

Her Broadway career spanned from 1904 to 1916. She made her Broadway debut in The Virginian in 1904, and returned to New York with Penelope during the 1909–1910 season, a production she had also performed in London. Subsequent Broadway appearances included The Secret Room during the 1913–1914 season, Outcast in 1914–1915, and The Basker in 1916.

In addition to her stage work, Leslie appeared in Los Angeles productions of The Gamblers and The Money Moon, both in 1912. She also worked in silent film, with credits including Jim the Penman in 1915, now considered a lost film, The Question in 1916, and two 1919 productions, the short film The Mite of Love and The Chosen Path.

During World War I, Leslie contributed to the war effort by raising funds for the Red Cross. The National Portrait Gallery holds five postcard portraits of Leslie taken by photographer Rita Martin, all dating from approximately 1908.