orig. Lillie Louise Fontanne
born Aug. 19, 1892, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.
died Aug. 3, 1977, Chicago, Ill.
born Dec. 6, 1887, Essex, Eng.
died July 30, 1983, Genesee Depot, Wis.
U.S. acting team.
Lunt made his acting debut in Boston in 1912 and starred in Clarence on Broadway (1919). Fontanne made her acting debut in London in 1909 and in New York City in 1910. She and Lunt married in 1922 and performed with the Theatre Guild from 1924 to 1929. They acted together in more than 25 plays, including The Guardsmen (1924) and Design for Living (1933), the latter of which Noë l Coward wrote for them. Considered the foremost acting couple of the U.S. theatre, they were acclaimed for the subtlety and effortless cooperation of their performances, especially in comedies by Coward and George Bernard Shaw .