Mary Jane “Mae” West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known for portraying sexually confident characters and for her use of double entendres, often delivering her lines in a distinctive contralto voice. West began performing in vaudeville and on stage in New York City before moving on to film in Los Angeles.
West was already performing on the vaudeville stage as a teenager. By the mid-1910s, she was appearing in New York vaudeville houses under the stage name “Baby Mae.” Even as a very young performer, she had a reputation for a flirtatious, witty, and confident stage presence—traits that later defined her Hollywood image. She often sang popular songs and did comedic routines that hinted at the sexual innuendo she became famous for.
In 1911, she made her Broadway debut in the revue A La Broadway. Through the decade, she appeared in revues and musical comedies, including Vera Violetta (1911) and Sometime (1918).
In the 1910s, Mae West looked quite different from the platinum-blonde screen goddess we remember. She was brunette with soft features, petite (around 5 feet tall), and already experimenting with glamorous fashion and figure-enhancing styles.
By the end of the 1910s, Mae West was carving out her niche as a daring performer—still years away from the film roles of the 1930s, but already laying the groundwork for her persona as America’s queen of double entendre.
