William Faversham

William Faversham (February 12, 1868 – April 7, 1940) was an English stage and film actor, manager, and producer born in London, England. His Broadway career spanned from 1887 to 1931, during which he established himself as one of the prominent actor-managers of his era. Around the mid-1880s, as a teenager, he encountered actor Maurice Barrymore while Barrymore was on tour with his family in London between 1884 and 1886. Faversham followed Barrymore through the streets of the city, and the experience of observing Barrymore and other actors inspired him to pursue a career on the stage.

Faversham became a significant presence on Broadway, appearing in the original production of The Importance of Being Earnest in 1895. He earned considerable recognition in Brother Officers in 1900, a production he revived twice that same year and the next. In 1906, he produced, directed, and starred in the original production of The Squaw Man. His Broadway credits also included Herod, Prince Charlie, A Royal Rival, Her Friend the King, and Hotbed, among other productions. He staged productions of Julius Caesar in 1914 and Othello in 1917. His final Broadway appearance came in 1931 with a repertory presentation encompassing Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and The Merchant of Venice. At the height of his career, Faversham earned upward of $5,000,000 annually, placing him among the highest-paid actors of his time.

In 1915, Faversham transitioned to motion pictures through Metro Pictures, where his popularity ranked second only to that of Francis X. Bushman. Later in his career he appeared in supporting and smaller roles in sound films, including a portrayal of the Duke of Wellington in the Technicolor production Becky Sharp and a role as the heroine's father in the 1937 low-budget film The Singing Buckaroo.

Faversham was married to stage actresses Edith Campbell and Julie Opp, and was the father of two sons, William Faversham and actor Philip Faversham. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1940, the year of his death in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York. He and his wife Julie Opp Faversham are interred at Huntington Rural Cemetery in Huntington, Long Island, New York.