Dame Ellen Terry, GBE (27 February 1847[1] – 21 July 1928) is an English stage actress who becomes the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain.

Born into a family of actors, Terry begins acting as a child in Shakespeare plays and continues as a teen, in London and on tour.

At sixteen, she marries the much older artist George Frederic Watts, but they separate within a year.

She briefly returns to acting but then begins a relationship with the architect Edward William Godwin and retires from the stage for six years.

She returns to acting in 1874 and is immediately acclaimed for her portrayal of roles in Shakespeare and other classics.

In 1878, she joins Henry Irving's company as his leading lady, and for more than the next two decades she is considered the leading Shakespearean and comic actress in Britain.

Two of her most famous roles are Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing.

She and Irving also tour with great success in America and Britain.

In 1903, Terry takes over management of London's Imperial Theatre, focusing on the plays of George Bernard Shaw and Henrik Ibsen.

The venture is a financial failure, however, and Terry then tours and later also lectures.

She continues to find acting success until 1920, while also appearing in films until 1922.

Her career lasts nearly seven decades.