Ellen Terry

ELLEN TERRY d1928. English actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Born into a family of actors, she began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London and toured throughout the British provinces in her teens. At 16 she married the 46-year-old artist George Watts, but they separated within a year. She soon returned to the stage but began a relationship with the architect  Edward Godwin and retired from the stage for six years. She resumed acting in 1874 and was immediately acclaimed for her portrayal of roles in Shakespeare and other classics. In 1878 she joined Henry Irving's company as his leading lady and for more than the next two decades she was considered the leading Shakespearean and comic actress in Britain. In 1903 Terry took over management of London's Imperial Theatre focusing on the plays of George Bernard Shaw and Henrik Ibsen. The venture was a financial failure and she turned to touring and lecturing. She continued to find success on stage until 1920, while also appearing in films from 1916 to 1922. She died in Kent aged 81 on July 21st 1928