Kathleen Kerrigan (circa 1869 - January 17, 1957) was an American actress on stage and in the early years of films.

Early years

The daughter of John Kerrigan and Sarah McLean Kerrigan, she was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but moved with her family to

New Albany, Indiana New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River, opposite Louisville, Kentucky. The population was 37,841 as of the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Floyd County. It is bounded by I-265 t ...

. Her brothers were actor

J. Warren Kerrigan George Jack Warren Kerrigan (July 25, 1879 – June 9, 1947) was an American silent film actor and film director. Controversy In May 1917, Kerrigan was nearing the end of a four-month-long personal appearance publicity tour that had taken ...

and film executive Wallace W. Kerrigan.

Career

Kerrigan's professional acting debut came on January 8, 1891, at

Macauley's Theatre Macauley's Theatre was the premier theatre in Louisville, Kentucky during the late 19th and early 20th century. It opened on October 18, 1873 on the north side of Walnut Street between Third and Fourth Streets, and was founded by Bernard "Barney" Ma ...

in Louisville, when she played the title role in ''Lady of Lyons'' and Galatea in '' Pygmaleon and Galatea''. Soon after that, she became leading lady for

Frank Mayo Frank Mayo may refer to: * Frank M. Mayo (1839–1896), American actor and comedian * Frank Mayo (actor) Frank Lorimer Mayo (June 28, 1889 – July 9, 1963) was an American actor. He appeared in 310 films between 1911 and 1949. Biograp ...

in his plays. Following three seasons with Mayo, she joined the Abbot and Teal troupe. Later, she acted with Robert Mantell in performances of Shakspeare's plays. Her Broadway plays included ''Laugh, Clown, Laugh!'' (1923), ''Everywoman'' (1911), ''The New Dominion'' (1906), and ''Sam Houston'' (1906). Kerrigan's film debut came in ''No. 99'', with her brother as the star.

Personal life

In 1894, Kerrigan married Morton J. Stevenson, an attorney. Following the marriage, Stevenson "abandoned his clubs, politics and a remunerative practice" and "took to the stage in order to follow the actress around." Despite such devotion, the couple divorced on September 5, 1906. On September 8, 1906, Kerrigan eloped with actor Clay Clement, and the two were married in St. Joseph, Missouri. They remained wed until his death in 1910. Some years after Clement's death, Kerrigan lived with actress

Lenore Ulric Lenore Ulric (born Lenore Ulrich; July 21, 1892 – December 30, 1970) was a star of the Broadway theatre as well as Hollywood films of the silent-film and early sound era. Discovered in 1913 by theater director David Belasco, who would go on t ...

for at least a decade.

Death

On January 27, 1957, Kerrigan died at age 88.

References

1860s births 1957 deaths American silent film actresses 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses 19th-century American actresses Actresses from Louisville, Kentucky People from New Albany, Indiana Actresses from Indiana {{US-theat-actor-1860s-stub