kean starting acting at the age of four, as a cupid in jean-georges noverre’s ballet of "cymon". as a child, his cheerfulness made him a universal favourite, but his background and lack of discipline, helped him develop independence and stubborn habits. in 1794, a few kind-hearted people paid for his school fees. even though he did well in school, he found it unbearable. as such, he decided to work as a cabin boy at portsmouth. finding life at sea even more limiting, he pretended to be deaf and lame so skilfully that he managed to trick the doctors at madeira.