Charles Fisher (1816 – June 11, 1891) was an

Anglo-American Anglo-Americans are people who are English-speaking inhabitants of Anglo-America. It typically refers to the nations and ethnic groups in the Americas that speak English as a native language, making up the majority of people in the world who spe ...

stage actor and comedian. Born to a prolific theatrical family from

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, England, Fisher went on to find success as an actor in different parts of England, and then from 1852 onwards in New York City where he worked as a highly regarded performer for almost 40 years in the companies of William E. Burton,

Laura Keene Laura Keene (20 July 1826 – 4 November 1873) was a British stage actress and theatre manager. In her twenty-year career, she became known as the first powerful female manager in New York. She is most famous for being the lead actress in ...

, James William Walluck, and

Augustin Daly John Augustin Daly (July 20, 1838June 7, 1899) was one of the most influential men in American theatre during his lifetime. Drama critic, theatre manager, playwright, and adapter, he became the first recognized stage director in America. He exer ...

. Arguably his best-known parts were Triplet in ''

Masks and Faces ''Masks and Faces'' is a 1917 British silent biographical film directed by Fred Paul and starring Johnston Forbes-Robertson, Irene Vanbrugh and Henry S. Irving. The film depicts episodes from the life of the eighteenth-century Irish actress P ...

'', Sir Peter Teazle in ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...

'', Jacques in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'', and Graves in ''Money''.

Early life

Fisher was born in

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

, England to a family of actors and performers who ran a travelling theatre company, Norfolk and Suffolk Company of Comedians (1792-1844), established by Fisher's grandfather David Fisher (I). The family owned, managed and performed in 13 theatres across

and

, with family members forming the majority of the cast and crew. His parents, Jane Corby and Charles Fisher (1792–1869), married in 1814 and went on to have three children, Julia (1815-1892), Charles, and Frederick (b. 1820). His mother was an actor with the family, and Charles Snr. was an instrumentalist who later took on the management of the company following the death of David Fisher (I).Some sources, such Charles Fisher's obituary in the New York Times erroneously state that he was the son – not nephew – of David Fisher (I). Julia went on to be an actor, and Frederick a scenic painter. Fisher's uncle

David Fisher (II) David Fisher (II) (1788–1858) was an English actor, and one of the managers of Fisher's company, which had a monopoly of the Suffolk theatres. Biography David Fisher was born on 29 December 1788 in St Giles's, Norwich, the eldest of the five ...

(1788–1858), his cousin David Fisher (III) (1816–1887), and his nephew David Fisher (IV)(1845–1889) all went on to become successful actors on the national stage.

Career

England

After working for the family, he made his London debut in 1844 at the

Princess's Theatre The Princess's Theatre or Princess Theatre was a theatre in Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europ ...

, spending the next seven years working in different parts of England.

New York City

Emily Rigl and Charles Fisher The Big Bonanza 1875

Chambers Street Theatre

In 1852 he moved to New York City to join the company of William E. Burton, Fisher was to succeed

Lester Wallack John Johnstone Wallack (January 1, 1820, New York City – September 6, 1888, Stamford, Connecticut), was an American actor-manager and son of James William Wallack and Susan Johnstone. He used the stage name John Lester until October 5, 1858, ...

as the "leading juvenile and light comedian" at the Chambers Street Theatre, where he worked until 1861. His New York debut was as Ferment in Thomas Morton's play ''

The School of Reform ''The School of Reform'' is an 1805 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Morton. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 15 January 1805. The original cast included George Frederick Cooke as Lord Avondale, Joseph Shepherd Munden ...

'' at''.'' In Burton's company he worked alongside

Cornelius Ambrosius Logan Cornelius Ambrosius Logan (May 4, 1806 – February 23, 1853) was an American actor, playwright, and journalist who was father to a famous family of actresses and writers. Biography Born in Baltimore to Irish immigrant parents, Logan was educ ...

James William Wallack James William Wallack (c. 1794–1864), commonly referred to as J. W. Wallack, was an Anglo-American actor and manager, born in London, and brother of Henry John Wallack. Life Wallack's father was named William Wallack and his sister was name ...

, Barney Williams, George Holland,

Agnes Kelly Robertson Agnes Kelly Robertson (25 December 1833 – 6 November 1916) was born in Edinburgh and became a popular actress on the American stage. Early years Robertson was the ward of Charles Kean, and the juvenile lead in his theatre company. There she ...

, and

William J. Florence William Jermyn Conlin (July 26, 1831 – November 19, 1891), better known by his stage name William J. Florence, was a US actor, songwriter, and playwright. Florence awarded the ribbon of the French Societe Histoire Dramatique. He was also co- ...

. 1853 he performed one of his most notable parts as Triplet in ''

'', which formed a basis for much of his subsequent fame. In 1860 he starred as Kyrle Daly in the debut of Dion Boucicault's, ''

The Colleen Bawn ''The Colleen Bawn, or The Brides of Garryowen'' is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, on 27 March 1860 with Laura Keene playing Anne Chute and Boucicault p ...

'', alongside

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

, and

Madame Ponisi Elizabeth Ponisi Wallis (December 15, 1818, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England – February 19, 1899, Washington, D. C.), née Hansom or Hanson, known throughout her career as Madame Ponisi, was an English-American actress. At an early age, she ...

. He remained in Burtons company until 1861.

Broadway Theatre

In 1855 and 1856 he also performed at the

Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

, at the time the largest theatre in New York. Among the plays he performed as the

Earl of Richmond The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was initially held by various Breton nobles; sometimes the holder was the Breton duke himself, including one member of the cad ...

in ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'' at the

alongside E.L. Davenport, in the New York premiere of William Bayle Bernard's ''Leon, or The Iron Mask'' alongside

''.'' He also played the jester Pepe in George Boker's play ''Francesca Da Rimini,'' alongside Ponisi and Davenport. He also worked alongside

Edwin Forrest Edwin Forrest (March 9, 1806December 12, 1872) was a prominent nineteenth-century American Shakespearean actor. His feud with the British actor William Macready was the cause of the deadly Astor Place Riot of 1849. Early life Forrest was born i ...

and Julia Dean.

Laura Keenes company

In 1860 he worked in

's company at the

Olympic Theatre The Olympic Theatre, sometimes known as the Royal Olympic Theatre, was a 19th-century London theatre, opened in 1806 and located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street and Newcastle Street. The theatre specialised in comedies throughout m ...

, where he played David Deans in Dion Boucicault's new play ''Jeanie Deans'' based on Sir Walter Scott's novel ''

The Heart of Midlothian ''The Heart of Mid-Lothian'' is the seventh of Sir Walter Scott's Waverley Novels. It was originally published in four volumes on 25 July 1818, under the title of ''Tales of My Landlord, 2nd series'', and the author was given as "Jedediah Clei ...

''.

Wallack's Theatre

In 1861 he joined the company of

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater, as the successive homes of the Repertory theatre, stock company managed by actors James William Wallack, James W. Wallack and hi ...

until 1872. In 1863 he played Matthew Leigh in the original run of one of Wallack's most successful plays, ''Rosedale; or, the Rifle Ball''. In 1868 he starred in The Lottery of Life as Mordie Solomons. In 1870 he played Colonel Crafton in Charles Gayler's ''Fritz, Our Cousin German'' in 1870.

Augustin Daly's company

In 1872 he joined Augustin Daly's company where he remained until his retirement in 1890 working on Daly's own plays, as well as classics such as Shakespeare.' In 1875 he played Matthew Standish in Daly's '' Pique,'' the play was popular with audiences and financially successful but critical response varied from "highly laudatory puff pieces to accusations of excessive sentiment and irritating sensationalism". It was at this time that in 1876 he married his second wife, the significantly younger Josephine H. Shaw (d.1907), stage name Josephine Boone, from Baltimore, who was a fellow actor in Daly's company. His last appearance on stage before retiring was in 1890 at the Lyceum Theatre in London as Adam in ''

''.

Death and legacy

Fisher died at his home in New York City on 11 June 1891, aged 75, following a case of

erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright red rash, t ...

earlier in the year. His obituary in ''The New York Times'' described him as

"a man of commanding presence, tall, erect, broad-shouldered. His voice, in his young days, was rich and strong. In his prime he invariably satisfied the eye exactly as the heroes of the romantic drama. In his later years he was seen to the best advantage in eccentric comedy parts. He was, throughout his career, however, a "good all-around actor", never approaching greatness, lacking the temperament and intellectual force needed in such a character as Falstaff, but a player of sound methods and good natural qualifications."

His "unostentatious" funeral in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

and burial at Woodlawn Cemetery was attended by noted actors of the time including Joseph S. Jefferson,

Maurice Barrymore Herbert Arthur Chamberlayne Blythe (21 September 1849 – 25 March 1905), known professionally by his stage name Maurice Barrymore, was an Indian-born British stage actor. He is the patriarch of the Barrymore acting family, father of John, Li ...

, Daniel Howard Harkins and

Charles Walter Couldock Charles Walter Couldock (26 April 1815 – 27 November 1898) was a popular 19th-century English actor. History Born in Long Acre, England, he made his stage debut in Shakespeare's Othello at London's Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1835.

who served as pall bearers. He was survived by his second wife, the actress Josephine Boone Fisher.(12 June 1891)
Death of Charles Fisher
, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' His great-granddaughters were the actresses

Blanche Ring Blanche Ring (April 24, 1871 – January 13, 1961) was an American singer and actress in Broadway theatre productions, musicals, and Hollywood motion pictures. She was best known for her rendition of "In the Good Old Summer Time." Early l ...

, Frances Ring and Julie Ring who appeared on the Boston Museum Theatre stage as children. His great-grandson was

Cyril Ring Cyril Ring (December 5, 1892July 17, 1967) was an American film actor. He began his career in silent films in 1921. By the time of his final performance in 1951, he had appeared in over 350 films, nearly all of them in small and/or uncredited bit ...

(1892-1967) a prolific character actor in Hollywood films.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, Charles 1816 births 1891 deaths English male stage actors American male stage actors British emigrants to the United States Male actors from Suffolk 19th-century English male actors Fisher family (acting) 19th-century American male actors