Barry Sullivan (English actor)

[2] At 14 years old, Sullivan entered a lawyer's office, but, seeing William Macready in Macbeth and other parts[clarification needed], he became obsessed with the idea of becoming a great actor.

[2] In November that year he obtained an engagement with Murray's stock company at Edinburgh, at a salary of 30 shillings a week, on the understanding that he was to play "second heavy" parts.

[2] Sullivan soon began to play leading roles, in 1844 he took the part of Antonio supporting Helena Faucit in The Merchant of Venice and was Petruchio to her Katharina in The Taming of the Shrew.

[2] Towards the end of 1858 Sullivan went to the United States of America, and opened at the Old Broadway Theatre in New York City on 22 November in Hamlet, followed by several others of Shakespeare's plays.

[2] Brooke was usually at his best in Australia, Joseph Jefferson was at his best and had not yet begun to restrict the range of his characters, and Sullivan had the advantage, sometimes lacking later in England, of always having excellent support from his companies.

[2] Sullivan's parts in Australia included Hamlet, Othello, Iago, Richard III, Macbeth, Shylock, Lear, Falstaff, Falconbridge, Charles Surface, Claude Melnotte, and Richelieu.

[1] Sullivan was five feet nine inches (175 cm) tall[2] and had a wiry, slight figure which allowed him to play younger parts when he was middle-aged.

[2] In Melbourne Sullivan's death resulted in lengthy obituaries; he was remembered as an actor and manager of 'more than ordinary talent, combined with considerable force of character, great tenacity of purpose, untiring industry, and a dogged application to the business of his profession'.