Benjamin Webster (2 June 1864 – 26 February 1947) was an English actor, the husband of the actress May Whitty, and father of the actress and director Margaret Webster. After a long career on the English stage, Webster, together with his wife, moved to Hollywood, where they made numerous films in their later years.
Contents
Life and career
Stage career
Webster was born on 2 June 1864 in London. His father, William Shakespeare Webster, was the son of the actor Benjamin Nottingham Webster. He was destined for the legal profession; after studying he became a practising barrister, but he appeared for a few performances with John Hare and W. H. Kendal in A Scrap of Paper and As You Like It, and was successful enough to be offered an engagement with them in 1887. He made his professional debut at the St James's Theatre on 3 March 1887, as Lord Woodstock in Clancarty, and subsequently toured as Octave in The Ironmaster. In 1888 he appeared under the managements of Willie Edouin in Katti, Run Wild, Charles Wyndham in Betsy, and Henry Irving as Malcolm in Macbeth.
In the early 1890s he appeared in George Alexander's company, first at the Avenue Theatre and then at the St James's. Among many others he created roles in Lady Windermere's Fan, Liberty Hall and The Second Mrs Tanqueray. In 1892 he married the actress May Whitty in St Giles's-in-the-Fields Church, London. They had two children: a son who died in infancy and a daughter, Margaret, who became a stage director. Webster rejoined Irving for a tour of America in 1895–96, and remained with him at the Lyceum until 1898, playing Guiderius in Cymbeline, Hastings in Richard III, Comte de Neipperg in Madame Sans-Gêne among other parts. In 1898 he toured with Ellen Terry, playing Cassio in Othello, and Beauseant in The Lady of Lyons.