Maurice Costello was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Irish immigrant parents on Feb. 22, 1877. He began acting on the stage at the age of eleven. At the age of of nineteen, he began taking small roles in stock companies,gaining some fame as a stage actor. In 1908, he joined the Vitagraph Company and began working on film. He directed many photoplays for Vitagraph, and in 1913 led a company troupe in Europe producing melodramas. He married Mae Altschuh in 1902; they had two daughters, Helene and Dolores who became actors themselves. Dolores married John Barrymore, a stage legend and a member of the Barrymore family whose long history in Hollywood is well-known now. Costello's grandchildren include John Drew Barrymore and great-grandchildren include Drew Barrymore. He died on Oct. 29, 1950 of conditions related to a cardiac ailment.