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Born Gabrielle Elizabeth Clifford Cook in Stockport, Cheshire, England, she first appeared on stage in a musical at the age of ten. By age sixteen, her dancing skills had advanced enough to be contracted to tour with the Ben Greet Players, an outfit that brought low budget productions of the classics to the working-class theaters at the fringe of London.

During the first decade of the 20th century Gabrielle Ray's career had progressed to the point where she was performing at some of the leading West End venues. Gaining attention as a very beautiful young ingénue, her photograph was much sought after by the various trade publications of the day and leading photographers such as Cecil Beaton. Known across Europe for her looks, she was described by a leading magazine in Paris, France as being the "most beautiful woman in the United Kingdom" but by theater critics at home as an actress of only passable skills.

In 1912, Gabrielle Ray married the very wealthy Eric Loder and went into retirement. However, Loder was a restless adventurer and the childless marriage lasted only two years. In 1915, she was back on stage but her bouts with depression and alcohol abuse took its toll on her personal and professional life. By the time she reached her thirties, she was only performing periodically and retired from the stage in 1924. Ray never remarried and a dozen years after her retirement she had a complete mental breakdown and was institutionalized for most of the rest of her life.

Gabrielle Ray died in 1973 at the age of ninety.