John Barrymore

John Barrymore (1882-1942), American actor, known for his portrayal of Hamlet, from the play by William Shakespeare. He was the son of Maurice and the brother of Lionel Barrymore and Ethel Barrymore. John was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and privately educated. In 1903 he made his stage debut in Chicago and his first appearance in New York. In 1905 he acted in London and toured Australia with an American company. Subsequent appearances in the United States and England made the handsome, romantic Barrymore one of the most famous actors of his day. Among his best-known performances were the leading roles in Justice (1910) by the English writer John Galsworthy, The Jest (1919) by the Italian playwright Sem Benelli, and Richard III (1920) and Hamlet (1924-1925) by Shakespeare. In 1912 Barrymore began to appear in films, and after 1925 he confined himself almost exclusively to this medium. He made his last stage appearance in My Dear Children (1939-1940). Married four times, he had a daughter, Diana, who also acted for the stage.