William Kempe | |
|---|---|
 Woodcut of Kempe (right) morris dancing from Nine Days Wonder (1600) | |
| Born | c. 1560 Possibly Kent, England |
| Died | c. 1603 (aged about 43) Southwark, London, England |
| Occupation | actor |
| Years active | 1585 or earlier–1603 |
| Known for | Playing comic roles in William Shakespeare's plays |
William Kempe (c. 1560 – c. 1603), commonly referred to as Will Kemp, was an English actor and dancer who specialised in comic roles. He was best known as one of the original stage actors in early dramas by William Shakespeare, and roles associated with his name may have included the comic creation Falstaff. His contemporaries considered him to be a successor to the great clown of the previous generation, Richard Tarlton.
Kempe's success and influence was such that in December 1598 he was one of a core of five actor-shareholders in the Lord Chamberlain's Men, alongside Shakespeare and Richard Burbage. He left the company shortly afterwards, and despite his fame as a performer and his intention to continue his career, he appears to have died unregarded and in poverty circa 1603.