Charles Fechter

Vocation

Anglo-French actor and sculptor. Late in 1844 in Paris he won the grand medal of the Académie des Beaux-Arts with a piece of sculpture, and made his debut at the Comédie-Française as Seide in Voltaire's "Mahomet" and Valère in Molière's "Tartuffe." At the Vaudeville on 2 February 1852 he created the part of Armand Duval in "La Dame aux camélias." For nearly two years (1857–1858) Fechter was manager of the Odéon, where he produced "Tartuffe" and other classical plays. Having received tempting offers to act in English at the Princess's Theatre, London, he made a diligent study of the English language, and appeared there on 27 October 1860 in an English version of Victor Hugo's "Ruy Blas." This was followed by "The Corsican Brothers" and "Don César de Bazan;" and on 20 March 1861, he attempted "Hamlet" for the first time. The result was an extraordinary triumph, the play running for 115 nights. This was followed by "Othello," in which he played alternately the Moor and Iago. In 1863, he became lessee of the Lyceum Theatre. In 1870 he visited the United States, where (with the exception of a visit to London in 1872) he remained till his death on 5 August 1879. Link to Wikipedia biography