Louise Phister

Who was Louise Phister?

Louise Petrine Amalie Phister, née Petersen, was a Danish stage actress.

Phister grew up in poverty; on her father's death, she applied to become a chorister at the Royal Danish Theatre. The theatre, discerning her talent for acting, instead enrolled her to study as an actress, and she became the maid and student of Anna Nielsen in 1829. Phister made her debut in 1835. She took many parts as a soubrette, appearing also in vaudeville, breeches parts and, eventually, in roles depicting old women. She was decorated with the medal in service for actors, Fortjenstmedaljen, in gold in 1885, and broke a record when she retired in 1895 after sixty seasons on the stage. Her last performance came in 1901, as a guest star.

She was married in 1846 to the actor Joachim Ludvig Phister.