Joseph Jefferson

With the exception of minor parts such as the First Gravedigger in Hamlet which he played in an all-star combination headed by Edwin Booth Jefferson created no new character after 1865; and the success of Rip Van Winkle was so pronounced that he has often been called a one-part actor. Moses Famous Actor-Families in America (New York 1906)
Francis Wilson Reminiscences of a Fellow Player (New York 1906)
William Winter Other Days (New York 1908)
E. This fame added to the glory of his country both at home and abroad…” Returning to America Jefferson made it his stock play making annual tours of the states with it and occasionally reviving The Heir-at-Law in which he played Dr.

He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers and one of the most famous of all American comedians. Joseph Jefferson commonly known as Joe Jefferson (February 20 1829 – April 23 1905) was an American actor.