Quin was born in King Street,
Covent Garden,
London, an illegitimate son of James Quin, an Irish-born
barrister, and his partner (whom he apparently never lawfully married) Mrs. Grinsell. He was the grandson of Mark Quin,
Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1667–8.
William Whitshed,
Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, was his first cousin. He was educated in
Dublin, and probably spent some time at
Trinity College, Dublin. His grandfather, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, who caused a sensation by committing
suicide in
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin in 1674, supposedly because of his wife's infidelity, was one of the richest men in Dublin. James unsuccessfully claimed a share of the family fortune, but he could not prove that his parents had been lawfully married, since his mother had a previous husband who was still alive. But if he was eager in his own defence he was no less so in that of others. In 1721 a drunken nobleman reeled onto the stage of the theatre and assaulted the manager, Rich, whose life was saved by Quin's prompt armed interference. This resulted in a riot, and thereafter a guard was stationed in all theatres. In 1732 Quin appeared at
Covent Garden, returning to Drury Lane from 1734 to 1741, and in 1742 was again at Covent Garden, where he remained until the close of his career. On 14 November 1746 Quin played Horatio and
Garrick Lothario to the Calista of Mrs Cibber in
The Fair Penitent. The applause of the audience was so great as to disconcert if not actually to alarm the two actors. , 1739 Public interest was yet more keenly stimulated in comparing Garrick's and Quin's impersonations of
Richard III, the popular verdict being loudly in favour of Garrick. But Quin's
Falstaff in
King Henry IV was emphatically preferred to the Hotspur of his rival. In consequence of an attempt made by Garrick in 1750–51 to draw him away from Covent Garden, Quin was enabled to extort from his manager a salary of £1000 a year, the highest figure then reached in the profession. Quin's last regular appearance was on 15 May 1757, as Horatio in the
Fair Penitent, though in the following year he twice played Falstaff for the benefit of friends. He had retired to
Bath, where he lived a happy life, with late hours and much eating and drinking, until his death on 21 January 1766. He was buried in the abbey church at Bath. Some coolness which had arisen between Quin and Garrick before the former's retirement was dissipated on their subsequent meeting at Chatsworth at the
duke of Devonshire's, and Quin paid many a visit to Garrick's villa at Hampton in the latter part of his life. The
epitaph in verse on his tomb was written by Garrick. Quin's will displayed a generous nature, and among numerous bequests was one of fifty pounds to "Mr Thomas Gainsborough,
limner." In the
Garrick Club in London are two portraits of the actor ascribed to
Hogarth, and a portrait by Gainsborough is in
Buckingham Palace. His personality was not gracious. His jokes were coarse; his temper irascible; his love of food, his important airs, and his capacity for deep drinking do not command respect; on the other hand, a few of his jokes were excellent, and there was no rancour in him. On many occasions, he showed his willingness to help persons in distress. His character is summarised by
Smollett in
Humphry Clinker. As an actor his manner was charged with an excess of gravity and deliberation; his pauses were so portentous as in some situations to appear even ludicrous, but he was well fitted for the delivery of
Milton's poetry, and for the portrayal of the graver roles in his repertory. ==Selected roles==