| William Morris | |
| Birth Name: | William Henry Morris |
| Birth Date: | 1 January 1861 |
| Birth Place: | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Yearsactive: | 1875–1935 |
| Spouse: | Etta Hawkins |
| Children: | 5, including Chester Morris |
William Henry Morris (January 1, 1861 – January 11, 1936) was an American stage and film actor.[1]
He began his career as a teenager in the theater, first appearing at the Boston Museum in 1875. He became a star on the Broadway stage, where he spent most of his career. He appeared in popular plays such as 1909's Is Matrimony a Failure? He was a character actor in silent films, usually playing gruff fathers or bad guys.[2]
His appearance in Alice Guy's 1917 silent film The Ocean Waif, from Kino DVD, is an example of Morris's surviving screen work.
He was married to actress Etta Hawkins,[3] with whom he had five children: screenwriter-actor Gordon Morris (1898–1940), actors Chester Morris (1901–1970) and Adrian Morris (1907–1941), and actress Wilhelmina Morris (1902–1971).[4] Their first child, Lloyd Morris, died young (1892–1902).[4]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | Romeo and Juliet | Abraham | |
| 1930 | Brothers | Dr. Moore | |
| 1931 | The Woman Between | Frederick Weston | |
| The Gang Buster | Andrew Martine |