Arthur Hoops

Arthur Hoops (1870 – September 17, 1916) was an American actor who worked in both stage and silent film. Born in Chicago, he built a career that spanned Broadway appearances from 1899 to 1908 before transitioning to the screen in the final years of his life.

On stage, Hoops became closely associated with actor James K. Hackett, with whom he shared the Broadway stage in a series of Ruritanian-themed productions beginning around 1900. The two men appeared together in Rupert of Hentzau, The Pride of Jennico, and The Prisoner of Zenda. Both actors stood well over six feet four inches tall, a physical fact that lent particular credibility to the celebrated dueling scene in The Prisoner of Zenda, which was regarded as the most famous such scene in American theater at the turn of the twentieth century. Hoops also appeared in the play Alice of Old Vincennes in 1901, a production that featured Virginia Harned.

In 1914, Hoops moved into silent film. His screen work included several films alongside Mary Pickford, one film with Marguerite Clark, and more than half a dozen productions at Metro Studios featuring actress Olga Petrova. Hoops died in Los Angeles at the age of 46 following a heart attack.