Gloria Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899 – April 4, 1983) was an American actress. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920's and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most famously for her 1950 turn in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, which also earned her a Golden Globe Award.

In 1925, Swanson joined United Artists as one of the film industry's pioneering women filmmakers. She produced and starred in the 1928 film Sadie Thompson, earning a nomination for Best Actress at the first annual Academy Awards. Her sound film debut performance in 1929's The Trespasser earned her a second Academy Award nomination. After almost two decades in front of the cameras, her film success waned during the 1930's. Swanson received renewed praise for her return to the screen in her role as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. She made only three more films, but guest-starred on several television shows, and acted in road productions of stage plays.