Ellen Terry
English actress, leading Shakespearean performer of the late 19th century.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Dame Alice Ellen Terry (27 February 1847 – 21 July 1928) spent nearly seven decades on the English stage. She was the third of eleven children born to Benjamin and Sarah Terry, a theatrical couple of Irish and Scottish descent. Five of the nine surviving children became actors, including Ellen and her older sister Kate. Their father drilled them in clear stage diction, a skill Ellen later credited for her own precise speech. Ellen first appeared onstage at age nine, playing Mamillius in *The Winter's Tale* at London’s Princess’s Theatre in 1856, where the Keans—Charles and his wife Ellen—mentored her. She also took roles like Puck, Prince Arthur, and Fleance there until the Keans retired in 1859. During summer breaks, she performed farces in Portsmouth and toured drawing-room entertainments. In 1862 she joined a stock company in Bristol, playing everything from burlesque to Shakespeare, and a year later appeared as Titania in Bath. Back in London, she joined the Haymarket Theatre company but grew disenchanted with acting after a poor experience there.
At sixteen, Terry married the forty-six-year-old painter George Frederic Watts, who had previously painted her and Kate. The union ended within a year. She soon returned to the stage but then began a relationship with architect Edward William Godwin, retiring from acting for six years. When she resumed in 1874, she won immediate acclaim in Shakespeare and other classics. In 1878 she became Henry Irving’s leading lady, a partnership that lasted more than two decades and made her Britain’s foremost Shakespearean actress. Her most famous roles included Portia in *The Merchant of Venice* and Beatrice in *Much Ado About Nothing*. She and Irving also toured America and Britain successfully.
Urged by George Bernard Shaw, Terry took over management of London’s Imperial Theatre in 1903, opening a new Henrik Ibsen play. The venture failed financially, so she turned to touring. She continued acting onstage until 1920, and found particular success with lecture tours on Shakespeare’s heroines. She also appeared in several films between 1916 and 1922.
- born
- 27 February 1847
- died
- 21 July 1928
- field
- Acting
- nationality
- English
- known_for
- Leading Shakespearean actress; roles as Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing
Lore & Background
Terry was born in Coventry, England, the third surviving child of a theatrical family. Her parents, Benjamin and Sarah, were actors, and she was coached by her father in stage diction. She made her first stage appearance at age nine as Mamillius in The Winter's Tale in 1856, later playing Puck, Prince Arthur, and Fleance at the Princess's Theatre. In her teens she performed in stock companies in Bristol and Bath, and joined J. B. Buckstone's company at the Haymarket Theatre in London.
At 16, she married the 46-year-old artist George Frederic Watts, but they separated within a year. She soon returned to the stage but began a relationship with architect Edward William Godwin, retiring from acting for six years. She resumed in 1874 and was immediately acclaimed for Shakespeare and other classics. In 1878 she joined Henry Irving's company as his leading lady, and for more than two decades she was considered the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Two of her most famous roles were Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. She and Irving toured with great success in America and Britain.
At the urging of George Bernard Shaw, Terry took over management of London's Imperial Theatre in 1903, opening a new play by Henrik Ibsen. The venture was a financial failure, and she turned to touring. She continued to find success on stage until 1920 and especial success in lecture tours discussing Shakespeare heroines. She also appeared in several films from 1916 to 1922. Her career lasted nearly seven decades.
Reader's Guide
Ellen Terry's significance lies in her long and influential career as a leading Shakespearean actress, particularly during her more than two decades as Henry Irving's leading lady. She was widely acclaimed for her portrayals of Portia and Beatrice, and her work helped define the interpretation of Shakespeare's heroines for her era. Her career spanned nearly seven decades, from child performer in the 1850s to film appearances in the early 1920s. She also attempted theatre management in 1903, though the venture was a financial failure. Her lecture tours on Shakespeare heroines were especially successful. Terry's legacy is that of a central figure in British theatre, whose performances and public persona shaped the standards of classical acting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Did You Know?
- Terry made her first stage appearance at age nine as Mamillius in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale in 1856.
- She married the 46-year-old artist George Frederic Watts at age 16; they separated within a year.
- She lived with architect Edward William Godwin for six years, retiring from acting during that time.
- At the urging of George Bernard Shaw, she took over management of London's Imperial Theatre in 1903.
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