William Mills (actor)


William Mills was a British stage actor.
The son of veteran stage actor John Mills and his wife Margaret Mills, he was born in London and baptised at St Martin-in-the-Fields on 29 June 1701. Under his father's guidance he made his debut as a child actor in 1712.
Like his father, he was a long-standing member of the Drury Lane theatre company. He took part in the Actor Rebellion of 1733, and left to work at the Haymarket Theatre for a season before returning to Drury Lane. His last appearance was in The Merchant of Venice in February 1750 and he died two months later on 18 April, shortly before a benefit was to be staged for him, and was buried at St Martin-in-the-Fields.
He was married to the actress Theodosia Mills until her death in 1733, after which he married another actress Elizabeth Holliday. With his first wife he had a daughter also called Theodosia who likewise became an actress.

Selected roles