Terry, Ellen (1847-1928), was a leading English actress especially noted for her performances in the plays of William Shakespeare. Terry appeared in many plays with actor and theater manager Sir Henry Irving.
Terry and dramatist George Bernard Shaw exchanged letters about the theater for more than 25 years. Their correspondence, Ellen Terry and Bernard Shaw, was published in 1931. She also wrote an autobiography, The Story of My Life (1908). A collection of her speeches, Four Lectures on Shakespeare, was published in 1932.
Ellen Alice Terry was born on Feb. 27, 1847, in Coventry. She first appeared on stage at the age of 9 in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. She lived with the British architect Edward Godwin. They had two children who had notable theatrical careers—Edith Craig, an actress; and Edward Gordon Craig, a scenic designer. King George V made Terry a Dame Grand Cross in the Order of the British Empire in 1925, and she became known as Dame Ellen Terry. She died on July 21, 1928.
