As an actor, Gillette was a "personality" actor, always playing himself onstage, earning him the sobriquet "the aristocrat of the stage." He played starring parts in most of his own plays, and was the original stage Sherlock Holmes. As a playwright and director, he pioneered the "realism of action," eschewing unnecessary dialogue for telling physical action, in an important precursor of film. As a theorist, he contributed "The Illusion of the First Time in Acting."

Born July 24, 1853 in Hartford, CT, his father was U. S. Senator Francis Gillette.

In 1875 Gillette made his professional debut at the Globe Theater, Boston and then worked for the next six years as a stock actor in Boston, NYC, and the Midwest, studying along the way at Harvard, Yale, MIT, NYC College and Boston University.

In 1881, while playing in Cincinnati, he was hired by Gustave and Daniel Frohman to go to NYC as playwright/director/actor. His first play, The Professor, written, directed and starring William Gillette opened at the Madison Square Theatre. Salary $50.00/week. The Professor ran for 151 performances and then toured as far west as St. Louis. The advance publicity, handled by Gustave Frohman included line sketches by "Kelly" which could be rapidly reproduced.
The two shown here give some notion of the costuming and action of the piece. It deals with an attractive professor who is "beleaguered by lovelorn applicants and challenged by younger and envious rivals."

During the run of The Professor, Gillette collaborated with Frances Hodgson on Esmeralda, which was produced the following year starring Annie Russell. She was replaced by Viola Allen, who became a big star in her own right. Esmeralda ran for nearly a year.

In 1884, Gillette adapted from the German, directed and starred in The Private Secretary, based on Gustav von Moser's Der Bibliothekar. Gillette made considerable changes to Moser's play in order to amplify his own part and exploit the then current vogue of spiritualism by making Rev. Mr. Spaulding a medium. He continued to update the play and it remained in his repertoire for five years.

In 1886, Gillette wrote what is usually regarded as the first important drama on the Civil War: Held by the Enemy.

In 1895, Gillette wrote another Civil War spy story, Secret Service, which ran for over a year. In the previews in Philadelphia, the leading role was played by Maurice Barrymore. He was replaced on Broadway by Gillette. The London cast included a young Ethel Barrymore.

In1899, Gillette adapted Sherlock Holmes for Broadway. Many of the characteristics of the great detective which we still associate with him were created by Gillette not Conan-Doyle. The London cast included a twelve-year-old Charlie Chaplin.

He created a number of starring roles in plays by James M. Barrie including The Admirable Crichton (1903) and Dear Brutus (1918) with a young Helen Hayes.

In 1913 Gillette delivered a famous address called "The Illusion of the First Time in Acting." to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.