Minnie Gertrude Ellis Jeffreys (12 May 1868(?)[n 1] – 21 January 1943) was an English actress, best known for her comedy roles.
Jeffreys was born in Ceylon and made her stage debut in London in 1889. She quickly became a leading West End player. In the early 1890s she had a long run in the operetta La Cigale, and then was a member of Charles Wyndham's company at the Criterion Theatre. In 1895 she created a role in The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith, which she played in London and on Broadway.
Most of her roles were in modern-dress drawing room comedy, but she also acted in classics including She Stoops to Conquer and The School for Scandal. In several years between 1895 and 1906 she was seen in the US, both on Broadway and in national tours. After that she continued to play in Britain, mostly in the West End, into the 1930s. During that decade she appeared in thirteen films, before retiring in 1938, five years before her death.
- ^ Nissen, p. 13
- ^ "Miss Ellis Jeffreys: A True Comedian", The Times, 22 January 1943, p. 7
- ^ Parker, pp. 494–495
- ^ Stone, David. "(Miss) Ellis Jeffreys (1889)", Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company (1875–1982), 2013
- ^ "Ellis Jeffreys Dies", The Ottawa Citizen, 22 January 1943, p. 171
- ^ Written at London. "Ellis Jeffreys Dies". The Gazette. Montreal (published 22 January 1943). CP. 21 January 1943. p. 3. Retrieved 16 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Written at London. "Ellis Jeffreys Passes; Actress in England". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. AP. 22 January 1943. p. 11. Retrieved 16 October 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Death Takes Actress", The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pennsylvania, 21 January 1943, p. 121
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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