1867 - 1954

Seine Laufbahn begann er als Theaterschauspieler und agierte ab 1908 beim Film. 1909 kam er zur Edison Stock Company, später arbeitete er auch für die D.W. Griffith's stock company und die Biograph Company.

Zu seinen ersten Filmen gehören "The Painter's Revenge" (08) und "After Many Years" (08) und in den Folgejahren entstanden Filme auf Filme - alleine 1909 wirkte er in 40 Filmen mit.
Zu seinen zahlreichen Filmen bis Mitte der 10er Jahre gehören "The Voice of the Violin" (09), "Confidence" (09), "Lucky Jim" (09), "The Suicide Club" (09), "A New Trick" (09), "The Attack on the Mill" (10), "The Winning of Miss Langdon" (10), "The Haunted Sentinel Tower" (11), "The Crusader" (11), "Under the Tropical Sun" (11), "The Sheriff" (11), "The Sign of the Three Labels" (11), "Next" (12), "The Silent Call" (12), "A Game of Chess" (12), "A Race to New York" (13), "Othello in Jonesville" (13), "Her First Performance" (13), "A Night at the Inn" (14), "Dock Potter's Wife" (14), "Olive and the Burglar" (15), "The Human Investment" (15) und "An Unwilling Thief" (15).

Als sich die längeren Filme gegenüber den bis dahin beliebten Kurzfilmen immer mehr durchsetzten, nahm naturgemäss auch die Anzahl der Filme, in denen Herbert Prior agierte, in der zweiten Hälfte der 10er Jahre ab.
Zu seinen bekanntesten Filmen dieser Jahre gehören "Miss George Washington" (16), "Great Expectations" (17), "The Poor Little Rich Girl" (17), "The Menace" (18), "A Burglar for a Night" (18), "That's Good" (19) und "Her Kingdom of Dreams" (19).

In den 20er Jahren konnte er seine Filmlaufbahn erfolgreich fortführen und er spielte erneut in einer Vielzahl bekannter Filme, dazu gehören die Produktionen "Pollyanna" (20), "The House of Whispers" (20), "Made in Heaven" (21), "The Man from Downing Street" (22), "The Monster" (25), "The Better Man" (26), "The King of Kings" (27), "All at Sea" (29) und "The Duke Steps Out" (29).

Der Tonfilm beendete die Laufbahn von Herbert Prior, dennoch blieb er bis 1934 aktiv im Filmgeschäft dabei, obwohl er nur noch sehr kleine Rollen angeboten bekam.
Zu seinen letzten Filmen zählen "The Girl Said No" (30), "Laught and Get Rich" (31), "This Side of Heaven" (34), "Viva Villa!" (34) und "Student Tour" (34).

Herbert Prior war mit der Schauspielerin Mabel Trunnelle verheiratet und die beiden spielten auch in etlichen Filmen zusammen. Die beiden galten als DAS Glamourpaar Hollywoods, bis sie von Mary Pickford und Douglas Fairbanks abgelöst wurden.
 

Weitere Filme mit Herbert Prior: 
The Boston Tea Party (08) Romance of a War Nurse (08) Ex-Convict No. 900 (08) The Joneses Have Amateur Theatricals (09) The Politician's Love Story (09) At the Altar (09) The Salvation Army Lass (09) The Lure of the Gown (09) A Burglar's Mistake (09) A Drunkard's Reformation (09) Trying to Get Arrested (09) Schneider's Anti-Noise Crusade (09) A Sound Sleeper (09) Lady Helen's Escapade (09) A Troublesome Satchel (09) Twin Brothers (09) Tis an Ill Wind That Blows No Good (09) One Busy Hour (09) The French Duel (09) A Baby's Shoe (09) The Jilt (09) Resurrection (09) Two Memories (09) The Cricket on the Hearth (09) Eradicating Aunty (09) What Drink Did (09) The Violin Maker of Cremona (09) The Lonely Villa (09) The Son's Return (09) The Faded Lilies (09) Her First Biscuits (09) Was Justice Served? (09) The Peachbasket Hat (09) The Way of Man (09) The Necklace (09) The House of Cards (09) Ranson's Folly (10) His First Valentine (10) An Unselfish Love (10) The Little Station Agent (10) Through the Clouds (10) The Doctor (11) The Writing on the Blotter (11) All for the Love of a Lady (11) The Wedding Bell (11) The Quarrel on the Cliff (11) A Case of High Treason (11) How Willie Raised Tobacco (11) The Crucial Test (11) The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (11) The Younger Brother (11) Christian and Moor (11) The Switchman's Tower (11) The Spirit of the Gorge (11) The Venom of the Poppy (11) At Jones Ferry (11) The Lighthouse by the Sea (11) The Sailor's Love Letter (11) The Battle of Trafalgar (11) The Big Dam (11) Leaves of a Romance (11) Three of a Kind (11) A Perilous Ride (11) Keeping Mabel Home (11) Buckskin Jack, the Earl of Glenmore (11) The Sign of the Three Labels (11) The Actress (11) A Romance of the Cliff Dwellers (11) Will You Marry Me? (11) Gossip (12) His Fate's Rehearsal (12) Spare Lucky Man (12) An Old Lady of Twenty (12) A Game for Two (12) Arresting Father (12) His Step-Mother (12) petticoat Perfidy (12) Stirp Poker (12) The Best Man Wins (12) The Unwilling Bigamist (12) The Better Influence (12) Leap Year (12) The Eternal Masculine (12) The Return of Life (12) Not on the Programme (12) Down and Out (12) Tomboy (12) Stage Struck Mamie (12) The Little Quakeress (12) The Bowery Pearl Fisheries (12) Papa's Double (12) Getting Rich Quick (12) The Flat Upstairs (12) The Lost Messenger (12) Farmer Allen's Daughter (12) The New Butler (12) A Disputed Claim (12) Mabel's Beau (12) Willie's Dog (12) Lola's Sacrifice (12) Thorns of Success (12) Mary's Chauffeur (12) The Butterfly (12) A Garrison Joke (12) The Call of the Blood (12) The Little Music Teacher (12) The Winner and the Spoils (12) All for Jim (12) Captain Ben's Yarn (12) The Tree Imp (12) A Woman Alone (12) Hazel Kirke (12) Two of a Kind (12) Oh, You Baby! (12) How They Got the Vote (13) An Unsullied Shield (13) At Bear Track Gulch (13) A Perilous Cargo (13) The Phantom Ship (13) How They Outwitted Father (13) The Doctor's Photograph (13) The Ranch Owner's Love-Making (13) The Lost Deed (13) Jan Vedder's Daughter (13) The Risen Soul of Jim Grant (13) The Unprofitalbe Boarder (13) Rule Thyself (13) Jones Goes Shopping (13) His Undesirable Relatives (13) The Golden Wedding (13) The Honor of a Soldier (13) A Taste of His Own Medicine (13) How Did It Finish? (13) Scenes of Other Days (13) By Fire and Water (13) The Pied Piper of Hamelin (13) The Ghost of Granleigh (13) Slander's Tongue (13) The Desperate Condition of Mr. Boggs (13) Saved by the Enemy (13) Why Girls Leave Home (13) The Widow's Suitors (13) Bill's Career as Butler (13) Her First Performance (13) Janet of the Dunes (13) A Good Sport (13) A Pious Undertaking (13) The Haunted Bedroom (13) Bottle's Baby (14) The Message of the Sun Dial (14) On the Lazy Line (14) His Wife (14) The Sultan and the Roller Skates (14) The Mexican's Gratitude (14) The Message in the Rose (14) A Romance of the Everglades (14) When East Met West in Boston (14) The Two Vanrevels (14) A Warning from the Past (14) In the Shadow of Disgrace (14) Across the Burning Trestle (14) Farmer Rodney's Daughter (14) A Tale of Old Tucson (14) The One Who Loved Him Best (14) In Lileu of Damages (14) Twins and Trouble (14) The Letter That Never Came Out (14) A Gypsy Madcap (14) The Colonel of the Red Hussars (14) Mr. Daly's Wedding Day (14) Olive's Manufactured Mother (15) Olive in the Madhouse (15) Olive and the Heirloom (15) Olive's Greatest Opportunity (15) A Pipe Dream (15) The Family Bible (15) Only the Maid (15) The Newly Rich (15) The Boston Tea Party (15) Snap Shots (15) The Struggle Upward (15) The Test (15) Eugene Aram (15) Not Wanted (15) Breaking the Shackles (15) The Magic Skin (15) The Broken Word (15) The Truth About Helen (15) The Heart of the Hills (16) The Martyrdom of Philip Strong (16) A Message to Garcia (16) The Last Sentence (17) The Royal Pauper (17) The Ghost of Old Morro (17) The Bottom of the Well (17) The Marriage Trap (18) Compliments of the Season (18) Society for Sale (18) A Model's Confession (18) After the War (18) Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots (18) Creaking Stairs (19) The Love Hunger (19) After His Own Heart (19) You're Fired (19) Heartsease (19) Stronger Than Death (20) The Fighting Chance (20) The Poor Simp (20) Rose of Nome (20) The Little 'Fraid Lady (20) Not Guilty (21) Without Benefit of Clergy (21) Garments of truth (21) The Dangerous Little Demon (22) The Half Breed (22) The Snowshoe Trail (22) Garrison's Finish (23) Little Johnny Jones (23) Slave of Desire (23) Madonna of the Streets (24) The Taming of the West (25) Waking Up the Town (25) Tearing Through (25) The Fighting Demon (25) The Wild Bull's Lair (25) Why Girls Go Back Home (26) Rustling for Cupid (26) Doubling with Danger (26) Across the Pacific (26) The Midnight Kiss (26) The Last Outlaw (27) Blake of Scotland Yard (27) The Smart Set (28) The Winged Horseman (29) The Ace of Scotland Yard (29) The Girl Said No (30) Caught Short (30) Passion Flower (30) Paid (30) Reducing (31) Help Wanted, Female (31) Politics (31) Flying High (31) Prosperity (32) Stand Up and Cheer! (34) 

Drehbuch: 
The Desperate Condition of Mr. Boggs (13) The Unprofitable Boarder (13) Othello in Jonesville (13) 

Regie: 
The Golden Wedding (13)