Fay Bainter was born in 1891 when Fay Bainter Okell in Los Angeles. She was brought up by her mother and was acting at the age of six years of reporting (other sources of four years) on the stage of migrant theaters in her hometown to see. From 1904 to 1907 attended the Girl Bainter Collegiate Institute and was, after many years of work in traveling theater, at the age of 19, a member of the theater company of the famous impresario David Belasco. Her debut at New York's Broadway in 1912 she graduated from John Corts musical opera The Rose of Panama, was listed only twenty-four times. Bainter could in the years to establish itself as a theater actress and was often cast in the roles of the innocent, naive or romantic. After appearances in twenty-five Broadway plays, most recently in Max Gordon's drama Dodsworth, which it took in August 1934 to January 1935 to 168 performances, Fay Bainter moved to film. Her movie debut was in 1934 at age 41, William K. Howard's drama This Side of Heaven, on the side of Lionel Barrymore. After supporting roles in George Stevens' comedy Quality Street next to Katharine Hepburn and Leo McCareys drama is no place for parents (both 1937), said Bainter 1939 film history as she became the first actress in the history of the Oscars for the drama White Banners and Jezebel - The wicked Lady was nominated twice in two different categories of actors received. In Edmund Goulding White Banners Fay Bainter plays alongside Claude Rains, the homeless, Hannah, who stop off at 1919 in a small town in Indiana to her again secretly shared son up for adoption years ago. In William Wyler's Jezebel - The mischievous lady Bainter mimics the rough role of Belle Massey, the aunt of the young heroine Bette Davis, which is made up of the Southern Society of 1852 against him. At the Academy Awards on 23 February 1939 (official census 1938) at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles had only 1.65 m, the great actress in the category of Best Actress Bette Davis Jezebel colleague to admit defeat, but she was allowed for the very same film the award for Best Supporting Actress . receive Irritated by Bainter, double Oscar nomination, the jury changed its nomination and voting rules, but 1942 should be given a second with Teresa Wright, an actress a double nomination. At the Academy Awards in 1940, Fay Bainter, presented as the winner of last year's Academy Award for Hattie McDaniel (Gone with the Wind), who was honored as the first African American actress with the film awards.

After the great success of its fifth or sixth shot roll of film Fay Bainter in the coming years with such renowned directors such as Frank Borzage, Michael Curtiz, Clarence Brown and Jean Negulesco was, however, often subscribed to secondary roles. She was often cast for the likeable part as wife and mother, girlfriend or aunt, for example, 1942 George Stevens comedy The woman, one of which speaks with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in the lead roles, Walter Lang's musical carnival of love (1945) or Norman Z. McLeod's comedy The Double Life of Mr. Mitty (1947). During the Second World War came Bainter as entertainer in hospitals and played 1944, a few of their villainous roles in André De Toth's film noir Dark Waters with Merle Oberon. Until the early 1950s focused Fay Bainter, from sporadic trips to the theater (The Next Half Hour, in 1945 and apart Gayden, 1949), on her film career before she devoted himself increasingly to the television set and, inter alia, in episodes of Lux Video Theater (1951-1955), in Robert Montgomery Presents (1952-1955), the Armstrong Circle Theater (1953-1955) and the strength Television Theaters (appeared 1956). A major critic of success was in 1958 Bainter part as morphine wife and mother Mary Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill's play Long Day's Journey Into Night (Original title: Long Day's Journey Into Night), in which they went with the National Company on tour. The drama tells of a day in the life of an American family in 1912, which breaks down to self-imposed constraints and unfulfilled dreams. In 1961, the actress with William Wyler's drama Infamous managed the successful return to the big screen. In the film version of Lillian Hellman play The Children's Hour (1934) Fay Bainter Amelia Tilford mimics the rich, who came to the ears because of ugly rumors, the professional life of two young female teachers (played by Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine) destroyed. The critics praised Bainter game and was nominated again for her last film role in 1962 for an Academy Award as best supporting actress, but had to Rita Moreno (West Side Story) to admit defeat. In her last television role she played in 1965 in the episode Power of Attorney of the series The Alfred Hitchcock Hour alongside Geraldine Fitzgerald.

From 1921 until his death, Fay Bainter was with Reginal P. Venable (married 1890-1964), a former Lieutenant Commander of the United States Navy. They had an only son, Richard Venable (came from 1926-1974), who, like his mother moved to the play specialist. Bainter died after a long illness at the age of 75 years in her hometown of Los Angeles in an inflammation of the lungs. She was buried at Arlington National Cemetery beside her husband. The actress recalls a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (7021 Hollywood Boulevard).
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