H. B. (Henry Brodribb) Irving

Born Henry Brodribb Irving on 5 August 1870 in London, he was the eldest son of the celebrated actor Sir Henry Irving and Florence O'Callaghan. He is usually listed as Harry Brodribb Irving, and he used the stage name H. B. Irving to distinguish himself from his father.

After studying at Marlborough College and New College, Oxford, he initially followed the law and was called to the bar before turning fully to the theatre. According to the University of Bristol Theatre Collection, he made his professional stage debut in 1891, and later built a career as a British stage actor and actor-manager. He married actress Dorothea Baird in 1896.

Irving remained closely tied to a remarkable theatrical family: he was the father of designer Laurence Irving and actress Elizabeth Irving. He died in London on 17 October 1919, leaving behind a career shaped by both inheritance and his own work on the stage.