(pseudonym of Greta Gustafsson). Born Sept. 18, 1905, in Stockholm. American actress of Swedish nationality.

Born into the family of a worker, Garbo graduated from a school of dramatic art in Stockholm. In 1922 she made her debut in films, and in 1924 she played her first important role in the film The Saga of Gösta Berling. She soon moved to Germany and in 1925 played one of the principal roles in the film Joyless Streets. In 1926 she began to work in Hollywood. In most of her films she created the image of a suffering, deeply unhappy woman. The sincerity and emotionality of her performances and her natural charm won her worldwide recognition. However, the banality of Hollywood films, which she tried to overcome by endowing her heroines with a rich spiritual world, prevented Garbo from realizing her creative potential. Her fine dramatic talent revealed itself in leading roles in the films Queen Christina (1933), Anna Karenina (1935), and Camille (1937). Since 1941, after an unsuccessful performance in the film Two-faced Woman, Garbo has not appeared on the screen.