Katharine Cornell
16 January, 1893
Full Name: Katharine Cornell | Profession: Stage Actress and Theater Producer | Nationality: American | Born: January 16, 1893 | Birthplace: Berlin, German Empire | Generation: Lost Generation | Chinese Zodiac: Snake | Zodiac Sign: Capricorn | Age in 2026: 133 (deceased) | Marital Status: Married to Guthrie McClintic | Children: None | Description: Katharine Cornell was one of the most powerful and influential figures in the history of American theater, widely regarded as the First Lady of Broadway during the golden age of stage performance, whose refined acting style, emotional intelligence, and commanding presence redefined what serious dramatic acting meant in the United States, particularly for female performers at a time when Hollywood was eclipsing live theater, yet Cornell chose to devote her life almost entirely to the stage, starring in legendary productions of Shakespeare, Shaw, and other classical and modern playwrights, including her iconic portrayals in Romeo and Juliet, The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Candida, and Saint Joan, roles that established her as a benchmark of theatrical excellence, cultural sophistication, and intellectual depth, while also becoming one of the highest-paid and most sought-after actresses in America, touring widely across the country with her own company and bringing world-class drama to cities far beyond New York, thereby shaping the cultural education of millions of Americans, and in parallel she became a pioneering theater producer through her partnership with her husband, director Guthrie McClintic, overseeing innovative productions that balanced artistic ambition with commercial success, helping to modernize Broadway and elevate it into a serious art form, while her meticulous dedication to craft, her preference for classical repertoire, and her insistence on artistic integrity made her a role model for generations of actors, critics, and directors, and although she largely avoided Hollywood, her few film appearances only enhanced her mystique, preserving her legacy as a pure theater icon, whose influence still echoes in acting schools, stage traditions, and American dramatic literature today; Cause of Death: Pneumonia on June 9, 1974.