Thomas Walker (actor)

Thomas Walker (1698–1744) was an English actor and dramatist.

He was the son of Francis Walker of Soho, London. About 1714 he joined the Shepherd's company (perhaps the Shepherd who was at William Pinkethman's theatre in Greenwich in 1710). Barton Booth saw Walker in a droll, The Siege of Troy, and recommended him to the management of the Drury Lane Theatre.

In November 1715 Walker seems to have played Tyrrel in Colley Cibber's Richard III; on 12 December 1715 he was Young Fashion in a revival of The Relapse (John Vanburgh). On 23 September 1721 he appeared at Lincoln's Inn Fields as Edmund in King Lear, and he remained there until 1733. On 29 January 1728 Walker took on his major original part, Captain Macheath in the Beggar's Opera, and his reputation was established.

On 10 February 1733, at the new Covent Garden Theatre, Walker was the first Periphas in John Gay's Achilles. The last part in which he is mentioned at Covent Garden is Ambrosio in Don Quixote, which he played on 17 May 1739. In 1739–40 he seems to have been resting, but he played, 17 May 1740, Macheath for his benefit at Drury Lane. In 1740–41 he was seen in many of his major parts at Goodman's Fields Theatre. But after David Garrick's arrival at Goodman's Fields in 1741, Walker's name was taken from the bills and did not reappear until 27 May 1742, when the Beggar's Opera and the Virgin Unmasked (Henry Fielding) were given for his benefit. He seems to have played in Dublin in 1742 as Kite in The Recruiting Officer, with Garrick as Plume.

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