Jack Pickford: The First "Bad Boy of Hollywood"

The gifted Canadian actor who lived in his sister Mary's shadow

Many actors have lived in the shadow of their family members. Whether it is a father, grandfather, grandmother, mother or sibling, it can be tough to stand out when your relative is far more famous than you.

Jack Pickford was born on Aug. 18, 1896 in Toronto to John and Charlotte Smith. His father abandoned the family when Jack was young, and later died in 1898. The family was left with little money. This left the children Jack, Gladys (Mary) and Lottie to help bring in money as child actors.

Eventually, the children were sent to different households because their mother was unable to provide for them all.

By 1900, the family had moved to New York City and acted in plays where they began to make good money. Jack attended public schools, while also acting in plays in New York and elsewhere.

By 1910, his sister Gladys had become Mary Pickford and was starting to rise in popularity in North America. By 1916, Mary Pickford, called “America’s Sweetheart” was Hollywood’s first millionaire.

With her star power, she was able to ensure the rest of her family had employment. The teenaged Jack Pickford moved to Los Angeles and started to work in bit parts and as a stunt double.

In 1912, he had his first leading role in A Dash Through The Clouds.

Within four years, Jack had appeared in 95 shorts and full-length films. Many considered Jack to be an excellent actor. Sadly, his talent for acting was soon overshadowed by his growing reckless behaviour.