DeWolf Hopper Sr.

DeWolf Hopper
DeWolf Hopper in 1901
Born	William D'Wolf Hopper (1858-03-30)March 30, 1858 New York City, New York
Died	September 23, 1935(1935-09-23) (aged 77) New York City, New York
Cause of death	Heart attack
Resting place	Green-Wood Cemetery
Occupation	Actor, comedian, singer
Years active	1878–1935
Spouse(s)	Helen Gardner (married 1880–1885) Ida Mosher (married 1886–1892) Edna Wallace Hopper (married 1893–1898) Nella Bergen (married 1899–1913) Hedda Hopper (married 1913–1922) Lillian Glaser (married 1925–1935)
Children	John A. Hopper William Hopper (1915–1970)

William DeWolf Hopper (March 30, 1858 – September 23, 1935) was an American actor, singer, comedian, and theatrical producer. A star of the musical theater, he became best known for performing the popular baseball poem Casey at the Bat.

Hopper was born William D'Wolf Hopper in New York City, the son of John Hopper (born 1815) and Rosalie D'Wolf (born 1827). His father was a wealthy Quaker lawyer and his mother came from a noted Colonial family. Though his parents intended that he become a lawyer, Hopper did not enjoy that profession. Hopper was called Willie as a child, and then Will or Wolfie, but when he set out on an acting career he chose his more distinguished middle name as his stage name. It was modified to "DeWolf" because of the frequency that it was mispronounced "Dwolf".

He made his stage debut in New Haven, Connecticut, October 2, 1878. Originally, he wanted to be a serious actor, but at 6' 5" (196 cm) and 230 pounds, he was too large for most dramatic roles. He had a loud bass singing voice, however, and made his mark in musicals, beginning in Harrigan and Hart's company. He achieved the status of leading man in The Black Hussar (1885) and appeared in the hit Erminie in 1887. Eventually, he starred in more than thirty Broadway musicals, including Castles in the Air (1890), Wang (1891), Panjandrum (1893), and John Philip Sousa's El Capitan (1896). The role that he remembered with greatest pleasure was Old Bill in The Better 'Ole (1919).

Known for his comic talents, Hopper popularized many comic songs and appeared in a number of Gilbert and Sullivan comic "patter" roles from 1911 to 1915, including The Mikado, Patience, and H.M.S. Pinafore.