Mansfield, Richard

Mansfield, Richard

(1854–1907) stage actor; born in Berlin, Germany. Son of English parents, he came to the U.S.A. in 1872 and thereafter alternated between America and England, first attracting attention in light opera productions in London, then moving over to the New York theater in 1883. One of the last in the fading style of romantic acting, his most famous roles were as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1887), Beau Brummel (1890), and Cyrano de Bergerac (1898). He struggled to bring new plays, including Shaw's, to the American stage, but had more success with revivals.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.