born Feb. 19, 1717, Hereford, Herefordshire, Eng.
died Jan. 20, 1779, London
British actor, producer, and playwright.
Tutored in his boyhood by King Lear , Hamlet , and Ben Jonson 's The Alchemist , he was acclaimed for his naturalistic style and came to be regarded as one of England's greatest actors. As part owner and manager of the {{link=Drury Lane Theatre">Drury Lane Theatre (1747–76) he made it London's most prosperous theatre, reformed theatrical stage practices, and replaced many Restoration adaptations of Shakespeare with his own versions. He wrote over 20 plays.