William Terriss - Life and Career

Life and Career

Terriss's real name was William Charles James Lewin. He was born in London and educated at Bruce Castle School, Tottenham, where he was a friend of J. Comyns Carr and Frederick Selous. Carr later wrote of Terriss's school days that "if he gained but little learning, he at any rate acquired a perfect mastery in the art of tree-climbing". Terriss then studied at Jesus College, Oxford, without taking a degree. He loved the adventurous, outdoor life. He married Isabel Lewis (stage name Amy Fellowes) in 1870 and had a daughter, Ellaline, who became a very well known actress in Edwardian musical comedy, together with her husband, the actor-manager Seymour Hicks. He also had a son, Tom, who became a well-known film director, writer and actor.

After trying the merchant service, silver mining in America, medicine, sheep-farming in the Falkland Islands, and tea-planting in Bengal, he returned to England and took to the stage, adopting the stage-name William Terriss, where his handsome presence, fine voice and gallant bearing made him popular. Because of his swashbuckling style, he became famous in hero parts and was known as "Breezy Bill". His first appearance in London was as Lord Cloudrays in Tom Robertson's Society, in 1871, at the old Prince of Wales's Theatre.

In 1871, also, Terriss had a major success in Robin Hood and in Rebecca, based on Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. Over the next few years he established himself as one of Britain's most popular actors. In 1880 he joined Henry Irving's company at the Lyceum Theatre, playing such parts as Cassio in Othello and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and in 1895 he acted there with Mary Anderson, for example, as Romeo to her Juliet. Terriss and Irving became close friends. Terriss also became close with his neighbor, George Bernard Shaw.

In December 1885, Terriss met 24-year-old Jessie Millward, with whom he starred in The Harbour Lights (by G. R. Sims and Henry Pettitt), and the pair established themselves as romantic leads together. They became lovers and toured Britain and America together for some years. Terriss was then engaged to take the hero parts in Adelphi melodramas, such as in The Bells of Haslemere (1887), and it was in this capacity that for the rest of his career he was best known, though he occasionally acted elsewhere, notably with Irving at the Lyceum Theatre. In 1895, Terris starred in a drama called One of the Best, inspired by the famous Dreyfus Trial. Terriss's son-in-law, Seymour Hicks, wrote the piece at the suggestion of the playwright W. S. Gilbert. Terriss's last appearance was in the play Secret Service.