His first attempts at acting were badly received, and it was to his wonderful gift of mimicry that he owed his success.
His imitations, however, naturally gave offence to the important actors and managers whose peculiarities he hit off to the life.
Garrick, Peg Woffington, Samuel Foote and Sheridan, after being delighted with the imitations of the others, were among the most angry when it came to their turn, and threatened never to forgive him.
[1] As an actor, Wilkinson was most successful in Foote's plays, but his list of parts was a long one.
He became sole manager after his partner's death in 1770 of a number of theatres on what was then called the Yorkshire Circuit, and he was both liberal and successful.