About Ed Genung
Lived 1881 – 1944 (aged 62). Ed Genung was an actor.
Edward Genung (30 August 1881 – 13 July 1944) was an American actor of the silent era notable for being the first actor to play David Copperfield on film - in David Copperfield and one of the earliest to play Ferdinand on film - in The Tempest (1911).
Genung was born in New Albany, Indiana, to Jones Alfred Genung, a glassworker. He worked in various films for the Thanhouser Company in 1911. In the summer of 1912, he was appearing in films for the Bison Company, while by 1914, he was acting with the Lubin Manufacturing Company.
Genung's other film roles include: Phil Nelson - the Messenger's Brother in Messenger No. 845 (1914); Dick in Dick's Turning (1913); Don in Her First Choice (1912); David Copperfield in The Loves of David Copperfield (1911); The Prizefighter / Aviator in The Higher the Fewer (1911), and The Country Boy in Little Old New York (1911).
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ed Genung's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ed Genung?
American actor
When was Ed Genung born?
Ed Genung was born on 30 August 1881.
When did Ed Genung die?
Ed Genung died on 13 July 1944.
What was Ed Genung's occupation?
Ed Genung was an actor.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ed Genung. https://biography.guide/ed-genung/
MLA: "Ed Genung." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ed-genung/.
Chicago: "Ed Genung." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ed-genung/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-27 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:17 UTC