James Fennell

Fennell, James (1766–1816), actor. The Englishman was slated for the law but, over family objections, went on the stage, making his debut in Edinburgh and appearing at Covent Garden before he came to America at Thomas Wignell's behest in 1794. Fennell's New York debut was as Zanga in The Revenge (1797). When he played Jaffier in Venice Preserved at the Park Theatre in 1799, the Commercial Advertiser remarked, “Few things can excel the performance of the excellent Fennell. The power of expression by countenance and gesture he possesses in an eminent degree.” Whether it was this independence, the fecklessness he displayed in his autobiography, or the pressure of his outside business interests (which were ultimately to bankrupt him), he slowly fell from popularity and was forced to accept occasional small assignments. He made several comebacks, with varying success. But in his last performances as Othello (always considered his best role), Richard III, and Macbeth, he was criticized for his ungainly stance, his rigid expression, and unexciting voice. Exceedingly tall for his day, Fennell stood over six feet. Autobiography: An Apology for the Life of James Fennell, 1814.