Wilhelmina Sablairolles

Sablairolles was born on 11 August 1818 in The Hague to Jacob Hendrik Sablairolles, an actor, and Johanna Scholten, a costume dresser. Her sisters, Suzanna Nannette, Sophie Theodora, and Henriëtte Jacqueline, also became actresses.[1] She was raised in the Protestant faith.[2]

As a child, Sablairolles was involved with a theatre company ran by Willem Weddelooper and, from 1833 to 1876, with Le Gras, Van Zuylen, and Haspels in Rotterdam. She was also involved at the Zuid-Hollandsche Tooneelisten. She performed for the first time at the age of four, as Karel in August Wilhelm Iffland's The Player of Revanche Prague.[2] She performed at the Kleine Komedie in Rotterdam until 1884. Her career began with child roles and later progressed to breeches roles and ingénue roles.[2]

In 1845, Sablairolles married the painter Jean Cretien Valois. She gave birth to eight children, six of whom lived to adulthood.[2] Three of their daughters, Wilhelmina, Jacqueline Henriette, and Esther Johanna went on to become actresses.[2] She was the aunt of the actor and playwright August Kiehl.

Her husband became the theater director at Koninklijke Schouwburg in 1854, after which she was often given leading roles.[2] Sablairolles was referred to "The Hague's wife Kleine", in reference to Maria Kleine-Gartman, who was a leading actress in the Netherlands.[2]

Sablairolles died on 19 August 1891 in Rotterdam.