Kemble, John Philip, 1757-1823

John Philip Kemble (1 February 1757 – 26 February 1823) was a British actor. He was born into a theatrical family as the eldest son of Roger Kemble, actor-manager of a touring troupe. His elder sister Sarah Siddons achieved fame with him on the stage of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. His other siblings, Charles Kemble, Stephen Kemble, Ann Hatton, and Elizabeth Whitlock, also enjoyed success on the stage. He was manager of the Drury Lane and Covent Garden theatres in London, where his reforms improved the status of the theatrical profession. He played heavy dramatic roles in the artificial and statuesque style then in vogue. His most famous roles were Shakespeare’s Brutus in Julius Caesar and the title roles in Hamlet and, above all, Coriolanus. He retired to the European continent after his last performance as Coriolanus on June 23, 1817.