Edwin Wilkes Booth

Edwin Wilkes Booth, brother of actor and President Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, was also a famous American actor. Edwin Booth was born in Belair, Maryland in 1833 to actor Junius Booth. He made his first stage appearance in 1849 as Tressel in Richard III. He performed this show with his father who played the role of Richard. The opinions of Edwin’s acting abilities, even from his father were less than stellar. It wasn’t until after the death of his father that Edwin received respect on the stage. After gaining the acceptance and praise of the audience, he performed significant roles in many major shows including Hamle and Othello. This success was paused however, when Edwin’s brother John assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. After performing with his brother in Julius Caesar just the year before, Edwin and his career were significantly impacted by his brother’s actions. But not letting the mistakes of his brother ruin his career, Edwin continued to work hard and persevere. He built his own theater, Booth’s Theatre, in Manhattan. It opened in 1869 with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in which Booth played Romeo. His theatre proved he could achieve whatever his goals might have been despite his brother’s actions. Romeo and Juliet was followed by many other successful performances at Booth’s Theatre.

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