Jessie Millward

Jessie Millward (1861–July 13, 1932) was an English stage actress born in London, England, whose career spanned both British and American theatre across several decades. Her father, Charles Millward, was a well-known pantomime writer active during the 1860s and 1870s. Millward made her acting debut in London in 1881 and appeared the following year alongside actor Henry Irving, subsequently performing with Irving's theatre company on multiple occasions over the next three years, primarily in Shakespeare productions, and maintaining a friendship with Irving in the years that followed.

In 1885, Millward met actor William Terriss, with whom she became romantically involved and formed a long-running stage partnership. Their first collaboration was the highly successful melodrama The Harbour Lights, written by George R. Sims and Henry Pettitt. The two were subsequently engaged at the Adelphi Theatre, where they appeared together in a series of melodramas beginning with The Bells of Haslemere in 1887. Millward also performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane for several years from 1890. She and Terriss made two tours of the United States with Irving, in 1889–90 and again in 1893–94. Terriss was murdered outside the Adelphi Theatre in 1897.

Millward's Broadway career extended from 1898 to 1910, with her appearances in the United States coming largely through the invitation of producer Charles Frohman. She played the title role in Phroso in 1898 and Lady Algy in Lord and Lady Algy in 1899. In 1901 she appeared as Countess Zicka in Diplomacy, and her Broadway credits also included The Taming of Helen, Lady Frederick, and Mrs. Dane's Defense. In 1910 she played Clara in the musical The Girl in the Taxi. Her stage work encompassed Shakespeare, classic plays, melodramas, and contemporary works.

In 1907, Millward married actor John Glendinning. She published an autobiography, Myself and Others, in 1923.