Collette was born in London, the son of Charles Hastings Collette, a solicitor, and his wife, Frances Mary, née Sharpe,[REF] and the grandson of General Collette of the Madras Cavalry [REF].
Over the succeeding years, Collette appeared in many Bancroft productions, including School by T. W. Robertson, Sheridan's The School for Scandal (as Sir Oliver Surface), The Merchant of Venice, and Lord Lytton's Money.