James O'Neill (actor, born 1847) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James O'Neill
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O'Neill as Abbé Busoni
in Monte Cristo, 1893 |
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| Born | November 15, 1847 |
| Died | August 10, 1920 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Stage, film actor |
| Spouse(s) |
Mary Ellen Quinlan
(m. 1877) |
| Children |
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James O'Neill (born November 15, 1847 – died August 10, 1920) was a famous Irish-American actor. He was also the father of Eugene O'Neill, a very well-known American writer of plays.
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Early Life and Family
James O'Neill was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, on November 15, 1847. His parents were Edward and Mary O'Neill, who were distant cousins. His father worked as a farmer. In 1851, when James was four years old, his family moved to America. They first settled in Buffalo, New York. Later, in 1857, they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. There, James started learning to be a machinist, which is someone who works with machines.
Becoming an Actor
When James O'Neill was 21, he performed on stage for the very first time. This happened in Cincinnati, Ohio, in a play called The Colleen Bawn (1867). In the same year, he joined a traveling group of actors called a repertory company. This meant they performed many different plays.
He played a young sailor in a play called Rip Van Winkle. He also acted alongside famous actors like Edwin Booth. People thought James O'Neill was a very promising actor. He quickly became a "matinee idol," which means he was a popular actor that many people, especially young women, admired.
In 1879, a newspaper described James O'Neill as "a quiet gentleman of medium height." It also said he had "black hair, black eyes, rather dark complexion, a black mustache, and a fine set of teeth."
James O'Neill also became friends with another actor named John Elitch. When Elitch opened a new park in Denver, Colorado, in 1890, O'Neill promised to perform there. He kept his promise in 1897, acting in the opening play called Helene.
The Count of Monte Cristo Play
In 1875, James O'Neill played the main character in a play based on the famous book The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, père. In 1883, he took over the lead role in the play in New York City. His acting was so good that audiences loved it!
O'Neill later bought the rights to the play. This meant he owned the play and could decide where and when it was performed. He toured with Monte Cristo for many years. Some people thought the play became too simple, but it was very popular and earned him a lot of money.
James O'Neill played the role of the Count over 6,000 times! While it made him rich, he later felt sad that he played the same role so often. He wished he had acted in more different plays. His son, Eugene O'Neill, said that his father was a "remarkable actor." But the huge success of Monte Cristo stopped him from trying other things. Eugene said his father felt the play "had ruined his career as an artist."
By 1887, it was thought that O'Neill had earned a quarter of a million dollars from the play. He even turned Monte Cristo into a shorter show for vaudeville, which was a popular type of entertainment with many different acts.
In 1912, a film company asked James O'Neill to star in a movie version of The Count of Monte Cristo. He was 65 years old at the time and had been playing the character for almost 40 years! The movie was released in 1913.
Later Life and Death
In the middle of 1920, James O'Neill was hit by a car in New York City. He was taken to a hospital in New London, Connecticut. He passed away on August 11, 1920, at the age of 72. He died from intestinal cancer at his family's summer home, the Monte Cristo Cottage, in Connecticut. Many people attended his funeral, including his sister and a Supreme Court Justice. He was buried in St. Mary's cemetery.
Legacy
James O'Neill became the inspiration for a character named James Tyrone in his son Eugene O'Neill's famous play, Long Day's Journey into Night. This play tells the story of a family that is very similar to the O'Neill family.
See also
In Spanish: James O'Neill para niños
