William Sly

He enters the historical record by playing Porrex in the c. 1591 production of the play The Seven Deadly Sins (likely written by Richard Tarleton), along with Augustine Phillips, Thomas Pope, Richard Cowley, and George Bryan, all future colleagues in the Lord Chamberlain's Men.

He is generally thought to have been with the Lord Chamberlain's Men at their re-formed start in 1594, probably at first as a hired man; he may have become a sharer in the company when George Bryan retired, c. 1597, though this is uncertain.

He bought a jewel in a white setting from Henslowe and was paying him back in installments during this period.

This scene showed him quoting one of Osric's lines in Hamlet, suggesting that he played that character.

He was also one of the shareholders in the Blackfriars Theatre when the King's Men took it over in August 1608, but died soon after, his potential portion being divided among the other sharers.