MILLER, JOSEPH or JOSIAS, commonly called Joe Miller (1684–1738), actor and reputed humourist, may have been related to the proprietors of ‘Miller's Droll Booth,’ which occupied a prominent place in St. Bartholomew's Fair from 1699 to 1731 (Morley, Bartholomew's Fair, pp. 263, 280, 319). He first joined the Drury Lane company in the winter season of 1709. On 28 Nov., when Sir Robert Howard's ‘Committee’ was produced at Drury Lane, he appears to have filled the part of Teague, and was described as ‘one who never appeared on the stage before’ (Genest, Hist. Account, ii. 431). The part was subsequently a favourite one with Miller's admirers; ‘though the gentlemen of Ireland would never admit that he had the true brogue, yet he substituted something in the room of it that made his Teague very diverting to an English audience’ (Victor). On 3 Dec. 1709 he was Jeremy in Congreve's ‘Love for Love,’ and on 17 Dec. Clip in Vanbrugh's ‘Confederacy.’ He did not reappear at Drury Lane till the autumn of 1714, and was thenceforth a prominent member of the company. On 4 Feb. 1715 he was Sneak in Charles Johnson's new play ‘The County Lasses;’ on the 22nd Kate Matchlock in Sir Richard Steele's ‘Funeral;’ and next day Sir Roger in the initial representation of Gay's ‘What d'ye call it?’ On 30 April he first appeared in what soon became another of his most popular rôles—Young Clincher in Farquhar's ‘Constant Couple.’ On 7 May he and Mrs. Cox took a joint benefit, when he figured as Old Wilfull in Cibber's ‘Double Gallant,’ and he was Cokes in Jonson's ‘Bartholomew Fair’ on 28 June. During the season of 1715–16 he was Sir Jolly Jumble in Otway's ‘Soldier's Fortune’ (17 Jan. 1716), Trico in ‘Ignoramus’ (19 June), Sir Mannerly Shallow in Crowne's ‘Country Wit’ (12 July), besides filling many inferior parts. On 2 April Brome's ‘Jovial Crew’ was acted for his benefit, when he doubtless assumed the character of Tallboy, which was always reckoned among his successes. On 27 Oct. 1716 he acted Clodpole in Betterton's ‘Amorous Widow’ to Colley Cibber's Brittle; on the 30th was Squire Somebody in Farquhar's ‘Stage Coach;’ on 13 Nov. Lance in Beaumont and Fletcher's ‘Wit without Money;’ and on 27 Nov. Sir Harry Gubbin in Steele's ‘Tender Husband.’ On 25 April 1717 he took his benefit as Sir Joseph Wittoll in Congreve's ‘Old Bachelor.’ A theatre ticket engraved for the occasion, on which a scene from the third act of this play is depicted, has been doubtfully assigned to Hogarth, who was then only nineteen. A copy is in the print room at the British Museum. It is reproduced in ‘The Family Joe Miller’ in 1848, but is generally regarded as a forgery (Nichols, Anecdotes of Hogarth, p. 301).
Miller's chief triumphs in succeeding seasons (1717–1728) were in such parts as Marplot in Mrs. Centlivre's ‘Busybody’ (29 Oct. 1718), doubtless in succession to Pack; Trinculo in the ‘Tempest’ (11 Dec.); Foigard in Farquhar's ‘Beaux' Stratagem’ (16 Dec.); Osric in ‘Hamlet’ (2 Jan. 1720); Sir William Belfond, an original part, in Shadwell's ‘Squire of Alsatia’ (20 Sept. 1720); Kastril in Jonson's ‘Alchemist’ (27 Oct. 1721); Sir Philip Moneylove in Mrs. Centlivre's ‘Artifice,’ a new piece (2 Oct. 1722); Roderigo in ‘Othello’ (3 Sept. 1726); Abel Drugger in the ‘Alchemist’ (20 Oct.); John Moody in Vanbrugh's and Cibber's ‘Provoked Husband,’ an original part (10 Jan. 1728); and Sir Apish Simple in Fielding's ‘Love in Several Masques’ (10 Feb.) In 1729—on 7 Jan. and 6 Feb. respectively—he filled parts in two new pieces, Cimon in Cibber's ‘Love in a Riddle,’ and Brush in Charles Johnson's ‘Village Opera.’ He was in the same year Dashwell in Johnson's ‘Country Lasses,’ and Brush in Farquhar's ‘Constant Couple’ (10 Feb. 1730).
In the autumn of 1731 Miller temporarily left Drury Lane owing to ‘some mean economy of the managers’ (Davies), and was engaged at Goodman's Fields, where he made a first appearance as Teague in the ‘Committee’ (3 Jan. 1732). All his favourite rôles followed, including Foigard, in which he took his benefit on 23 March. He was also the First Gravedigger in ‘Hamlet’ (26 Feb.), Robin in Carey's ‘Contrivances’ (23 May), and on 10 May he was announced to appear ‘for the last time that season’ as Ben in ‘Love for Love’—a part in which he was an acknowledged ‘favourite of the town’ (Davies). He returned to Drury Lane in the winter of 1732, and acted Jack Straw in the ‘Alchemist’ on 19 Jan. 1733. On 23 Sept. 1734 he reappeared as Sir William Belfond in Shadwell's ‘Squire of Alsatia.’ On 1 Feb. 1737 he created the part of John Cockle the Miller in Dodsley's ‘Miller of Mansfield.’ Next season he appeared as Pompey in a revival of ‘Measure for Measure’ (26 Jan. 1738), and was the First Witch in ‘Macbeth’ five days later. On 23 Feb. 1738 he assumed the rôle of Sir John Cockle at the first performance of Dodsley's ‘Sir John Cockle at Court.’ On 13 April he took his benefit both as Ben in ‘Love for Love’ and the ‘Miller of Mansfield.’ There followed his renderings of Dr. Caius in the ‘Merry Wives’ (3 May), Lord Sands in ‘Henry VIII’ (6 May), Colonel Cocade in
