Gerald du Maurier

Sir Gerald Hubert Edward Busson du Maurier (March 26, 1873 – April 11, 1934) was an English actor and manager, the first person to play the dual roles of Captain Hook and George Darling. He was the brother of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, son of popular cartoonist and writer George du Maurier, and father of the writers Angela du Maurier and Dame Daphne du Maurier. His popularity lay in his subtle yet realistic acting style: a "delicately realistic style of acting that sought to suggest rather than to state the deeper emotions". His Times obituary said of his career: "His parentage assured him of engagements in the best of company to begin with; but it was his own talent that took advantage of them."

Biography
Du Maurier was born in Hampstead, London, and attended Heath Mount School and Harrow School. He initially pursued a career in business, but it did not suit him, and he took to the stage. He obtained his first engagement, a small part, via his father's friend, who managed a theatre.

After playing a number of small roles pre-1900, his popularity became assured via his acclaimed performance in major roles in the premieres of two J. M. Barrie plays: as Ernest in The Admirable Crichton in 1902, and as both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook, (replacing Seymour Hicks, who had turned down the part) in Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, at the Duke of York's Theatre, London, on 27 December 1904. He also appeared in other Barrie plays including Dear Brutus.

Du Maurier's nephews, the sons of his sister Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, were the inspiration for Peter Pan and other boy characters in Barrie's fiction. The character of Wendy Darling in Peter Pan shares one of her middle names with du Maurier's daughter Angela, who in later years portrayed Wendy onstage.

His relationship with Daphne was somewhat peculiar. He had wanted a boy, and Daphne indulged him somewhat, behaving as a tomboy. The two were unusually affectionate and he was possessive of her, to the point of speculation of a (probably superficial) incestuous aspect to their relationship. Ironically, Gerald was notoriously homophobic, which was a bit unusual in his line of work.

Du Maurier was a regular cigarette smoker, and the du Maurier brand was named after him as a paid endorsement deal (he did not smoke them himself), which he undertook to help pay back taxes.

His daughter Daphne wrote a biography of him – Gerald: A Portrait – which was published by his nephew Peter Llewelyn Davies shortly after du Maurier died of colon cancer in London in 1934.