Biography | Jean Forbes-Robertson was an English actress. A versatile Shakespearean actress, she was often cast in boys' roles because of her slim build, playing Jim Hawkins in a stage version of Treasure Island, Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream and, most famously, the title role in Peter Pan. After beginning her career in 1921 on tour in South Africa and Australasia with her mother's theatre company, she made her London debut in 1925, gaining wide notice by 1927. During her career, she played mostly in Shakespeare works and other classic plays, and was often employed by the actor-director Robert Atkins. Her father was the actor Johnston Forbes-Robertson, her aunt was the actress Maxine Elliott, and her daughter is the actress Joanna Van Gyseghem. |