John Drew
Encyclopedia
- For the Shakespearean actor born in 1853, this man's son, see John Drew Jr.John Drew Jr.John Drew, Jr. was an American stage actor noted for his roles in Shakespearean comedy, society drama, and light comedies. He was the eldest son of John Drew, who had given up a blossoming career in whaling for acting, and Louisa Lane Drew, and the brother of Louisa Drew, Georgiana Drew & Sidney...
John Drew (September 3, 1827 – May 21, 1862) was an Irish-American stage actor and theatre manager.
Early life
Born Jonathan Henry Drewland in Dublin, IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, to Thomas L. Drew and Louise Kanten, he was the fifth of six children. He lived in Templeogue
Templeogue
Templeogue is a suburb of southwest Dublin, Ireland. The original Irish name Teach Mealóg refers to a chapel named after Saint Mel that was built there in about 1273....
, a poor Irish village in County Dublin during the 19th century. In 1832, John Drew emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his family to Boston, Massachusetts. As a child he spent most of his life living in Boston. This is where he first got into acting.
Career
After moving to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Drew got a job in the theatrical company of Joseph J. Johlen (the theatre manager). He appeared in a number of Johlen's plays, including Uncle Mutch, The Barber Man, Canterbury of Livingston and also The Progrist.
Drew made his first New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
appearance in 1846. He played Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and light comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
parts with success in many American cities, and was the manager of the Arch Street Theatre.
Personal life
John married Louisa LaneLouisa Lane Drew
Louisa Lane Drew was a British actress and theater owner.She and her third husband John Drew were the parents of Louisa Drew , John Drew, Jr. and Georgie Drew . She had no children from her first two marriages...
in 1848 this being her third marriage and his first. They had three children, Louisa (b.1852-1888), John Jr.
John Drew Jr.
John Drew, Jr. was an American stage actor noted for his roles in Shakespearean comedy, society drama, and light comedies. He was the eldest son of John Drew, who had given up a blossoming career in whaling for acting, and Louisa Lane Drew, and the brother of Louisa Drew, Georgiana Drew & Sidney...
(b. 1853-1927), and Georgiana
Georgiana Drew
Georgiana Emma Drew , aka Georgie Drew Barrymore, was an American stage actress and a member of the Barrymore acting family....
(b. 1856-1893), the latter two of whom were accomplished actors. (Georgiana married Maurice Barrymore
Maurice Barrymore
Herbert Arthur Chamberlayne Blythe —stage name Maurice Barrymore — was the patriarch of the Barrymore acting family and great-grandfather of actress Drew Barrymore.-Early life:...
in 1876, begetting the Barrymore family
Barrymore family
The Barrymore family is an American acting family.The Barrymores are also the inspiration of a Broadway and West End play called The Royal Family....
; this makes John Drew a great-great-grandfather of actress Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
.)
Drew died at his home in Philadelphia, at the early age of 34, after tripping & falling and fatally hitting his head during a party for daughter Georgiana. He was buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, which was later closed and his body was moved to Mount Vernon Cemetery. After his death, his wife Louisa took over the management of the Arch Street Theatre.
Publications
- MosesMontrose Jonas MosesMontrose Jonas Moses was an American author, born in New York, where he graduated from the City College in 1899....
, Famous Actor-Families in America (New York, 1906)
External links
- John Drew Sr formal portrait
- John Drew Sr portrait
