The daughter of the actor William Terriss, Ellaline made her London stage debut at the age of 16 in "Cupid's Messenger" at London's Haymarket Theatre. Impressed with her performance, the producer Charles Wyndham gave her a three-year contract, under which she first played Madge in "Why Women Weep". In 1892 Terriss starred in "Faithful James" (by B. C. Stephenson) and the following year she starred in the title role of "Cinderella", produced by Henry Irving. She was featured in W. S. Gilbert's "His Excellency" in 1894, followed the next year by a starring role in the George Edwardes production of the musical "The Shop Girl", playing alongside her husband. The next year she starred in another musical hit, "The Circus Girl".