Wilton Lackaye
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
September 30, 1862
Wilton Lackaye | |
|---|---|
 Theatre Magazine, 1908 | |
| Shepherd of The Lambs | |
| In office 1906–1907 | |
| Preceded by | DeWolf Hopper |
| Succeeded by | Augustus Thomas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Andrew Lackey September 30, 1862 |
| Died | August 22, 1932 (aged 69) |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Queens, N.Y. |
| Spouse(s) | Annie Lewis (died 1896) Alice Evans (1 child) Katherine Alberta Riley |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Helen Lackaye (sister) |
Wilton Lackaye (né William Andrew Lackey; September 30, 1862 – August 22, 1932) was an American stage and film actor, who originated the role of Svengali (from the 1895 novel Trilby) in both stage and film.
William Andrew Lackey[1] was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, the son of James Lackey and his wife, Margaret Bagnam.[2][3][4] He attended Georgetown University[5] and Ottawa College, initially planning to be a priest.[6] As an amateur, he acted with the Lawrence Barrett Club of Washington.[7]
Career
Lackaye's professional acting debut occurred in 1883 when he portrayed Lucentio in Francesca da Rimini at the Star Theatre in New York.[5] That summer, he performed with a stock company in Dayton, after which he worked with the Carrie Swain Company.[7]
He created the role of Svengali in the play Trilby in 1895 which he played on screen in 1915 opposite Clara Kimball Young.[8] His film debut came in The Pit (1914).[9] Lackaye toured in vaudeville during World War I, performing in the one-act plays Quits and The Bomb.[9]
Personal life
He married three times: first to actress Annie Lewis,[10][11] second to Alice Evans, and lastly to Katherine Alberta Riley. He had a son Wilton Lackaye Jr. with Alice Evans.[citation needed]
He had two siblings in show business: James Lackaye Jr. and Helen Lackaye.[8][12]
