George Brent

The favorite leading man of star Bette Davis was born George Brendan Nolan, near Dublin. An orphan from the tender age of eleven, he briefly stayed with an aunt in New York. Once old enough to earn money he moved back to the other side of the Atlantic making ends meet herding sheep and (at one time) working in the gold fields of South Africa. George eventually returned to Ireland to study at the University of Dublin. Leaving university in 1919, he became a courier for Sinn Fein leader Michael Collins during the 'The Troubles' and was hunted by the Black and Tan with a bounty on his head. By that time, he had developed an interest in acting and (partly to cover up his nightly activities for Sinn Fein) joined the Abbey Theatre Players. Tipped off as to an imminent arrest by British soldiers, George went into hiding and later skipped town. His return to acting was rather necessitated by the need for a sustainable source of income. By 1925, he was back in New York touring with the play 'Ab