Born: 9-Mar-1806
Birthplace: Philadelphia, PA
Died: 12-Dec-1872
Location of death: Philadelphia, PA
Cause of death: unspecified
Remains: Buried, Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, PA

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Actor

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: 19th. c. American actor

American actor, born at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 9th of March 1806, being of Scottish and German descent. He made his first stage appearance on the 27th of November 1820, at the Walnut Street theater, in John Home's Douglas. In 1826 he had a great success in New York as Othello. He played at Drury Lane in the Gladiator in 1836, but his Macbeth in 1845 was hissed by the English audience, and his affront to William Charles Macready in Edinburgh shortly afterwards -- when he stood up in a private box and hissed him -- was fatal to his popularity in Great Britain. His jealousy of Macready resulted in the Astor Place riot in 1849, leaving seventeen dead. In 1837 he had married Catherine, daughter of John Sinclair, an English singer, and his divorce suit in 1852 was a cause c�l�bre which hurt his reputation and soured his temper. His last appearance was as Richelieu in Boston in 1871. He died on the 12th of December 1872. He had amassed a large fortune, much of which he left by will to found a home for aged actors.

Wife: Catherine Sinclair (m. 1837)

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