Cibber was a renowned actor, playing many roles, most notably that of a fop. He was also a theater manager and playwright. The DNB summarizes his varied body of work as a playwright: "In all, Cibber wrote twenty-five theatre pieces of various sorts—twelve comedies, seven tragedies, two farces and four operas: of the twenty-five, ten were adaptations (with varying amounts of added original material) from Dryden, Corneille, Fletcher, Shakespeare, and Molière." In 1730, he was named Poet Laureate to the King as a result of his staunch Whig loyalties. The DNB explains that in the 17th and 18th c., poetry and theater were not clearly distinguished from each other, and playwrights were often referred to as 'poets' regardless of whether they wrote in prose or verse. As such, 3/4 laureates before Cibber had been playwrights. "Cibber played a major part in building a relationship between court and theatre unparalleled since the reign of Charles II." (DNB). An obsequious man, Cibber fawned over and consorted with aristocracy in order to appear a gentleman. He had a lifelong gambling habit and an extended quarrel with Pope.