2019-6-26 · A ctress Lillian Gish began working in films in 1912 at age eighteen, launching a career that spanned seventy-five years. Her early years were spent with legendary director D.W. Griffith at the Biograph Studio. She joined Griffith's troop in New York City, moved to Hollywood with him and returned to New York when Griffith setup his studio on Long Island in 1919.