Booth, Junius Brutus

1796

1852

Born in London on 1 May 1796, the son of Richard Booth, a lawyer in Bloomsbury, the eccentric Booth was intended for the law, but turned actor instead. After appearances in struggling provincial companies in England and Belgium, he made his debut at Covent Garden as Sylvius in “As You Like” It on 18 October 1815. On 12 February 1817 he appeared with success as Richard III. Kean brought him to Drury Lane and on 20 February 1817 he acted Iago to Kean’s Othello. He appeared as Lucius Junius Brutus in Payne’s “Brutus” – the role in which the Garrick Club picture depicts him (G0085) – at the Royal Coburg early in 1820. He soon became a leading actor and for a while was considered a rival to Kean. He deserted his wife, whom he seems to have married while in Brussels, for Mary Ann Holmes, a Bow Street flower girl, and in 1821 went to America, making his debut in Richmond, Virginia, as Richard III. He also played that role for his New York debut at the Park Theatre on 5 October 1821. In 1825 Booth returned to London for an engagement at Drury Lane, where he acted Brutus on 8 October, Richard III on 13 October and Othello on 17 October. He returned to America and achieved great popularity in such roles as Hamlet, Iago and Sir Giles Overreach and was hailed as second only to the famous American tragedian Edwin Forrest. His regular tours took him to California, New Orleans and up the Mississippi. He died in 1852 on a Mississippi steamboat. His sons by Mary Ann Holmes, all born out of wedlock, became actors. The eldest, Junius Brutus Booth Jr (1821-1883) had a modest career as an actor-manager, mainly in California. Edwin Thomas Booth (1833-1893) became a renowned American actor, especially famous for his portrayal of Hamlet. The youngest son, John Wilkes Booth (1839-1865) was also an outstanding actor but became infamous for his assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre, Washington, on 14 April 1865.