From an extra to the 'King of Hollywood' William Clark Gable was one of the most successful American actors of his era. He is best known for his role as Rhett Butler in the movie Gone with the Wind (1939).

Gable, who began his career as a stage actor, during his early days in the industry appeared in several silent films. Following which he signed a contract with MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) and made his first sound picture appearance as a villain in the low budget movie The Painted Desert in 1931. The unmistakable, powerful voice and screen presence of Gable grabbed the attention of the several filmmakers and he soon started receiving offers. Subsequently, he was seen in movies such as Dance, Fools, Dance (1931), Sporting Blood (1931), Strange Interlude (1932), and Dancing Lady (1933).

In 1934, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie It Happened One Night and in the next year, he got nominated again for the movie Mutiny on the Bounty. Although both these roles remained to be amongst the best of his career, the most prominent role of his career came with the movie Gone with the Wind wherein he essayed the role of Rhett Butler.

Few of Gable's other notable movies include Boom Town (1940), The Hucksters (1947), and Homecoming (1948). His final screen appearance came with the 1961 movie The Misfits. Gable died of a heart attack on November 16, 1960, at the age of 59.