Born in the same log cabin but in 1838 John Wilkes Booth made his stage debut at age 17 on August 14 , 1855 in the supporting role of the Earl of Richmond in '' Richard III '' at Baltimore 's Charles Street Theatre . Some of the more known theaters that he acted for include John T. Ford 's Holliday Street Theater in Baltimore , Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia , and the Richmond Theatre . Of all Shakespearean characters his favorite role was Brutus the slayer of a tyrant . Some critics called him " the handsomest man in America , " a " natural genius " , and praised his " astonishing memory " while others gave mixed reviews of his acting . Historian Benjamin Platt Thomas wrote that Booth " won celebrity with theater-goers by his romantic personal attraction . " Author Gene Smith wrote that Booth 's acting may not have been as precise as his brother Edwin 's , but his strikingly handsome appearance enthralled women . As the 1850s drew to a close , Booth was becoming wealthy as an actor , earning $ 20,000 a year ( equivalent to about $ today ) . Despite the acting fame of the entire Booth family , John Wilkes Booth will always be most known for assassinating Abraham Lincoln
assassinating Abraham Lincoln
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Harford County, Maryland