born 0441; 1567, London, Eng.
died March 9/13, 1619, London
British actor.
A popular actor by age 20, he was a member of the Earl of Leicester 's company and the Chamberlain's (later King's) Men. Closely associated with William Shakespeare , he was the first to play roles such as Richard III, Romeo, Henry V, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear. He also performed in plays by Thomas Kyd , Ben Jonson , and John Webster . He was a major shareholder of the Globe Theatre and the Blackfriars Theatre.