Claire Whitney was born in New York City on May 6, 1890. Her acting career first started out on the stage, but as time wore on, it was evident that films were taking the place of plays, at least for a while. Her first film was The Star of India (1913) when she was 23. Claire did well enough in her first movie that she starred in many films, both the shorts and features. She remained very busy throughout the balance of the silent era. After The Leech (1921), Claire left films until 1926 when she returned for only one film, that being The Great Gatsby (1926). Claire returned in 1931, to appear in an uncredited part in her first sound picture. Her roles for the remainder of her career were small ones. She was 59 when she appeared in her last film, Roaring Westward (1949). On August 27, 1969, Claire died in Los Angeles, California. She was 79.