Actor. Edward Askew Sothern was a 19th century English actor largely remembered for his comic roles such as Lord Dundreary. Born in Liverpool England to a Merchant family he first tread the boards professionally in 1849 as Douglas Stewart before travelling to America in 1852. After acting in stock companies stateside he joined the Laura Keane company where he developed the caricature of the inept English nobleman known as Lord Dundreary in Tom Taylors Our American Cousin. Legend has it that the Lord Dundreary character initially offered to Sothern was a bit part, but Sothern developed the idiosyncrasies of the character to the point where Dundreary became the central character of the play. The play performed at Ford's theatre Washington was later to become infamous as that which Abraham Lincoln attended on the night of his assassination by John Wilkes Booth. Sothern's character became such a hit both in America and England that the long sideburns worn by the character were referred to colloquially as Dundrearies. At the height of Sothern's fame his Kensington home in London became a haunt for the fashionable people of the era. A born comic he became equally famous for his much publicised elaborate practical jokes, usually at the expense of close friends and innocent bystanders. Sothern had three Son's all of whom became actors the most prominent of these being Edward Hugh Sothern who reprised the Dundreary character and became a famous Shakesperean actor in his own right. Sothern became ill whilst touring America in 1879 and died after his return to London in 1880 at the age of 54. He is buried in Southampton Old cemetery.
Actor. Edward Askew Sothern was a 19th century English actor largely remembered for his comic roles such as Lord Dundreary. Born in Liverpool England to a Merchant family he first tread the boards professionally in 1849 as Douglas Stewart before travelling to America in 1852. After acting in stock companies stateside he joined the Laura Keane company where he developed the caricature of the inept English nobleman known as Lord Dundreary in Tom Taylors Our American Cousin. Legend has it that the Lord Dundreary character initially offered to Sothern was a bit part, but Sothern developed the idiosyncrasies of the character to the point where Dundreary became the central character of the play. The play performed at Ford's theatre Washington was later to become infamous as that which Abraham Lincoln attended on the night of his assassination by John Wilkes Booth. Sothern's character became such a hit both in America and England that the long sideburns worn by the character were referred to colloquially as Dundrearies. At the height of Sothern's fame his Kensington home in London became a haunt for the fashionable people of the era. A born comic he became equally famous for his much publicised elaborate practical jokes, usually at the expense of close friends and innocent bystanders. Sothern had three Son's all of whom became actors the most prominent of these being Edward Hugh Sothern who reprised the Dundreary character and became a famous Shakesperean actor in his own right. Sothern became ill whilst touring America in 1879 and died after his return to London in 1880 at the age of 54. He is buried in Southampton Old cemetery.
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