Booth, Junius Brutus (1796-1852), was an English actor who gained fame in both the United States and England. Booth was noted for his fiery romantic portrayals of tragic characters, including William Shakespeare’s Othello, King Lear, Shylock, and Richard III. Booth’s son Edwin became one of America’s greatest tragic actors. Another son, John Wilkes Booth, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
Booth was born in London, on May 1, 1796. He achieved his first acting triumph in England in the role of Richard III in 1817. In that year, he briefly established himself as a rival to the great English actor Edmund Kean. In 1821, he sailed for America, where he experienced success as a tragic actor. However, alcoholism and fits of insanity often disrupted his career. He died on Nov. 30, 1852.
