page_title: J. S. Grimaldi
section_title: Decline
hierarchical_section_title: J. S. Grimaldi / Biography / Decline
caption_attribution_description: English: A 19th century chalk sketch of the actor J.S. Grimaldi.
context_page_description: Joseph Samuel William Grimaldi, better known as J. S. Grimaldi or JS Grimaldi, was an English stage actor, comedian and dancer, who frequently played the role of Clown in the harlequinades that accompanied nineteenth-century pantomimes. He was the son of Joseph Grimaldi, who popularised the role of Clown in the early 1800s.
  The young Grimaldi began his career in 1814 playing in a version of Don Juan, and in other roles, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the Sadler's Wells and Covent Garden theatres. Throughout his teenage years, he was a successful performer, starring in Harlequin and Fortunio; or, Shing-Moo and Thun-Ton, The Fates; or, Harlequin's Holy Day, and Harlequin and Friar Bacon, but he grew to resent the often unfavourable comparisons made between him and his famous father.
  Grimaldi turned increasingly to alcohol over the years, becoming unreliable, abusive and ultimately unemployable. He was mostly unemployed throughout his 20s, making his final appearance in a revival of Don Juan in 1832. He died later that year, at the age of 30.
context_section_description: The critical comparisons between Grimaldi and his father also adversely affected their father-son relationship. By the early 1820s, Grimaldi became resentful of his father and publicly shunned any association with him.  JS turned to alcohol and became increasingly unreliable; his professional engagements became rare as theatre managers were reluctant to hire him. He survived two suicide attempts: in 1821 he cut his throat, and two years later he lacerated himself on a window.  Fortunes at Sadler's Wells were also dwindling, with lessees failing to mount new engagements, thus leaving Grimaldi out of work.  His alcoholism effectively ended his career as he became abusive to colleagues and even more unreliable.
  Grimaldi became estranged from his parents in 1823, who saw their son only occasionally over the next four years, as Grimaldi went out of his way to avoid them. They communicated only through written correspondence, with Grimaldi often sending his father letters begging for money.  Grimaldi stated to his father that "At present I am in difficulties; but as long as I earn a shilling you shall have half." Grimaldi finally returned home in 1827, when his parents were awakened one night to discover their son standing in the street, feverish, emaciated and dishevelled.  He was taken in by his parents, who managed to secure him a number of brief theatrical engagements, including a few Christmas pantomimes and benefits for his father.
  Grimaldi's lack of a steady income eventually led to him being incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Upon his release on 3 March 1831, he moved in with his parents, who again tried to find him employment; their efforts failed because he did not appear for rehearsals. Grimaldi soon reverted to his old ways and often abused his parents' charitable nature by bringing home prostitutes and fighting with his alcoholic friends within the house. He moved out later that year.
  His final performance was at the Tottenham Street Theatre in a production of Don Juan, in 1832, playing the part of Scaramouche.
caption: J.S. Grimaldi later in his career
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