William Kempe
English comic actor and dancer (d1603) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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William Kempe (c. 1560 – c. 1603), commonly referred to as Will Kemp, was an English actor and dancer specialising in comic roles and best known for having been one of the original stage actors in early dramas by William Shakespeare. Roles associated with his name may include the great comic creation Falstaff and his contemporaries considered him the successor to the great clown of the previous generation, Richard Tarlton.
William Kempe | |
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Born | c. 1560 Possibly Kent, England |
Died | c. 1603 (aged about 43) Southwark, London, England |
Occupation | actor |
Years active | 1585 or earlier–1603 |
Known for | Playing comic roles in William Shakespeare's plays |
Kempe's success and influence was such that in December 1598 he was one of a core of five actor-shareholders in the Lord Chamberlain's Men alongside Shakespeare and Richard Burbage, but in a short time (possibly after a disagreement among the members of the troupe) he parted company with the group. Despite his fame as a performer and subsequent intent to continue his career, he appears to have died unregarded and in poverty circa 1603.