English actress most their for being the mistress of renowned author Charles Dickens. She is thought by scholars to have been the inspiration behind many of Dickens' most memorable female characters, including Estella in Great Expectations and Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities.
She began her stage acting career in Sheffield at age three. She and her two sisters, also actresses, were considered acting prodigies as infants.
Her relationship with Dickens has been dramatized in works including the stage play Little Nell and the film The Invisible Woman.
She was married to George Wharton Robinson from 1876 until his death in 1910. They had children together named Geoffrey and Gladys.
She was portrayed by actress Felicity Jones in 2013's The Invisible Woman.