George L. Fox

George Washington Lafayette Fox (July 3, 1825 – October 24, 1877) was an American actor and dancer who became known for his pantomime Clown roles, and who based the characterizations for these roles on his inspiration Joseph Grimaldi.

Early years Fox was born George Washington Lafayette Fox, the first child of George Howe and Emily ( Watt) Fox of Cambridge, Massachusetts. His parents were stock players at Boston's Tremont Street Theatre, where Laff (his childhood nickname) and his five siblings were often called upon to play juvenile roles. Fox made his debut at the Tremont Street Theatre at the age of five, though in later years his younger brothers, Charles and James, and his sister Caroline were considered the more talented. James and Caroline became popular in the Boston area as a child act and flourished for a number of years. Fox's parents decided his future would be better served if he learned a trade and they enrolled him in an apprenticeship with a local merchant.

Fox's brother James continued acting for several years, even while attending Harvard Law School and would later become a successful lawyer and four-term mayor of Cambridge. His sister Caroline married actor George C. Howard, a union that would leave an important mark on the history of American theater.

Later years When Fox returned from the war, he resumed playing pantomime roles to Lower East Side audiences. Fire forced him out of the New Bowery Theatre, one of many that would curse the building over the years. Poor business had caused a schism with Lingard that would later spill over into the court dockets. In 1866, Fox became stage manager at the Olympic Theatre on the East side of Broadway near Houston Street. There he played Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream and, starting in 1868, his signature role as Clown in a pantomime version that he co-wrote of Humpty Dumpty, the first American pantomime to be performed in two acts, which some feel has never been equaled since.