Charles Kemble facts for kids
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Charles Kemble (born November 25, 1775 – died November 12, 1854) was a famous English actor. He was born in Wales and came from a very well-known theatre family called the Kemble family.
Contents
Charles Kemble's Life
Early Life and Family
Charles Kemble was one of 13 children. He was the youngest son of Roger Kemble, who managed a theatre and was also an actor. His mother, Sarah Ward, was an actress from Ireland. Charles had many older brothers and sisters who were also famous, including John Philip Kemble, Stephen Kemble, and Sarah Siddons.
He was born in Brecon, a town in South Wales. Like his brothers, Charles was raised in his father's Catholic faith. His sisters, however, were raised in their mother's Protestant faith. Charles and his brother John Philip went to school at Douai School in France.
Starting His Acting Career
After returning to England in 1792, Charles first got a job at the post office. But he soon left that job to become an actor. His first known performance was in Sheffield that same year. He played the character Orlando in a play called As You Like It.
At the start of his acting career, Charles slowly became more popular. For a long time, he acted alongside his famous brother and sister. He mostly played smaller parts and did not get much attention.
Becoming a Star
Charles first performed in London on April 21, 1794. He played Malcolm in Macbeth, with his brother playing Macbeth. Over time, Charles became famous in his own right. He was especially known for roles like Archer in The Beaux' Stratagem and Charles Surface. His performances as Laërtes and Macduff were considered as good as his brother's famous roles as Hamlet and Macbeth.
In 1827, Charles produced a play called Cymbeline. This production started a new trend in theatre: making plays historically accurate. This trend became very popular later on.
Family Life and Challenges
On July 2, 1806, Charles married Marie Therese De Camp. She was also an actress and helped him a lot in comedy plays.
Between 1832 and 1834, Charles visited America with his daughter, Fanny Kemble. They were very popular there and created a lot of excitement. Later in his career, Charles faced money problems. This was because he was a part-owner of the Covent Garden theatre.
Retirement and Later Years
Charles officially retired from acting in December 1836. However, his very last performance was on April 10, 1840. From 1836 to 1840, he worked as an "Examiner of Plays." This job involved checking plays before they could be performed.
In 1844 and 1845, he gave special readings from Shakespeare's plays. Another famous actor, William Charles Macready, thought Charles's performance as Cassio was amazing. Macready once said that Charles was "a first-rate actor of second-rate parts," meaning he was excellent even in supporting roles.
See also
Images for kids
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Charles Kemble as 'Pierre'
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