Yul Borisovich Briner was an American actor who is most famous for his role as King Mongkut in the film, The King and I. This film adaptation earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor, as well as two Tony Awards. He was also nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
Early life
Yul Brynner was a famous film actor who had a harrowing early life. Born in Russia, Yul Brynner migrated to Paris and had an illustrious career. He starred in The King and I, The Magnificent Seven, The Madwoman of Chaillot and other acclaimed films.
Born in Vladivostok, Russia, Yul Brynner was the son of a mining engineer and an actress. His father abandoned the family when Yul was about six years old. However, his mother, Margits Dimitrievnner, re-located the family to Paris, France. She also adopted her children, Melody and Mia.
Youl Bryner attended the Lycee Moncelle in Paris, France. But he was not a regular attendee. Despite this, Mary Martin, the star of the musical “Lute Song”, encouraged Yul to audition for the role of the King in the play. Ultimately, the role made Yul a star.
As a child, Yul Brynner learned to play the guitar in Russian nightclubs in Paris. Although he was a renowned guitarist, he wasn’t sure he wanted to pursue a career in the theater. In order to ease his back pain, he used opium.
During World War II, Yul Brynner worked as an Office of War Information broadcaster. He also studied with Michael Chekhov. Afterward, he joined the circus and continued to work as a musician. After a period of illness, he returned to stage acting.
During his career, Yul Brynner won the Tony Award for his performance in the musical “The King and I.” This is one of the most successful musicals in American history. His final performance took place in June 1985. Sadly, he died of lung cancer in October of that year.
Before his death, Yul Brynner wrote two books. One of them, Bring Forth the Children, featured Inge Morath, a Magnum photographer. It was published in 1960.
Yul Brynner also had a long career as a director. He starred in the movie “The Ten Commandments” with Charlton Heston, the film “The Magnificent Seven” with Steve McQueen, and the film “Morituri” with Marlon Brando.
Yul Brynner died at the age of 65 in October of 1985. His remains were buried in Luze, France.
Film career
Yul Brynner’s film career was quite successful in the 1950s. He played a variety of roles in some of the biggest films of the decade. In The King and I, he portrayed the arrogant king of Siam. This role earned him an Oscar for best actor.
He began his acting career in New York, where he appeared in plays. Later, he became a musician. He later moved to Paris, France, where he developed his musical skills.
When he was three years old, his father abandoned the family. His mother took him and his younger sister to China, then to Paris. Eventually, the family returned to America. After that, he received a formal education in a YMCA school.
By age six, he was known as “Rock” in honor of boxer Rocky Graziano. As a child, he sang gypsy songs at nightclubs.
In 1941, Youl Bryner had his first acting role in a play, “Twelfth Night.” His father abandoned the family in 1923, and he was sent to a boarding school in Upstate New York. During World War II, he became a US citizen.
Throughout his career, he traveled widely between the United States and Europe. During this time, he appeared in several major films. He appeared in such movies as Solomon and Sheba, The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments, and Anastasia.
In 1957, Yul was one of the top 10 money-making stars of that year. He was also inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
He was a matinee idol and a sex symbol. In the late 50s and early 60s, he tried to expand his repertory of film roles.
But he remained popular as a sex figure, even in the 1960s, when he had no major box-office hits. He continued to appear on the scene in the mid-70s. Finally, his final movie was the Italian action film, Death Rage, in 1976.
In addition to his acting career, he was a television director. He was known for his shaved head and resonant voice. Occasionally, he spoke on television shows about the dangers of smoking.
Academy Award nominations
If you were a fan of Yul Brynner’s work, you would certainly recognize his Academy Award nominations. This legendary actor starred in several important films and was the first Asian American actor to win an Oscar.
Born in Russia, Yul Brynner came to the United States in the early 1940s. He was known for his charisma and resonant voice. In addition to his acting career, Brynner was also a successful television director. His first two seasons of Studio One featured him with his wife, Virginia Gilmore.
The King and I is a play that Brynner played on Broadway. It ran from January 7 to June 30 1985. A film version followed in 1956. At the time of his death in 1985, he had played the part for more than four thousand performances.
He later became a history lecturer at Western Connecticut State University. A biography written by his son revealed that Brynner was born in Vladivostok, Russia. Interestingly, the family settled in the United States in the early 1940s. However, it was Brynner’s father who adopted a “policy of public disinformation” about his heritage.
After the death of his mother, Brynner’s father moved to Harbin, China for a short time. During this period, he tried to prepare his son for a position in his family’s business. But after watching an act lesson, he decided that his son was a good talent and changed his mind.
By the end of his life, Brynner had been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He starred in the 1956 film version of The King and I. In this performance, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Another of his famous roles was in The Magnificent Seven. He portrayed the lead gunslinger in the film. As a result, he signed a three-picture deal with Mirisches. This movie became a huge hit in the Soviet Union and Europe.
Other notable Academy Award nominees included David Niven, who won for his role as a British soldier during World War II. Gary Cooper and Sean Penn also received nominations.
Personal life
Yul Brynner was born on July 11, 1920. He had a Mongolian/Buryat mother, Natalya Iosifovna Kurkutova, and a Swiss-German father, Boris Yuliyevich Briner. His parents separated when he was three.
When he was fifteen, Brynner started acting in movies. During World War II, he worked as a radio announcer. In addition, he wrote books. Eventually, he became an actor and director. Some of his roles included the lead role in “Anastasia” and “The Ten Commandments” in 1956.
While in New York, Yul took a small role in a play called Twelfth Night. His performance caught the attention of CBS television studios. After that, he appeared in several movies and television shows.
He was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood in 1957. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Yul Brynner had a son, Rock. He was named after boxer Rocky Graziano. He also had a daughter, Lark, with Frankie Tilden. They had a daughter, Victoria, together in 1962. Afterward, they divorced.
He had an affair with Marlene Dietrich. She became his second wife. Besides Marlene, he had four other wives. One of them was Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume. Other wives were Joan Crawford, Ingrid Bergman, and Judy Garland.
Brynner died in 1985 from lung cancer. He is buried at St. Robert Churchyard in La Tourrain. The tomb is surrounded by a stone wall. A statue of him is also erected in the city’s Yul Brynner Park.
Before becoming an actor, Yul studied music and became a guitar player in Russian nightclubs. He later became interested in photography and writing. Throughout his career, he often played a wig for some of his roles.
He was also an avid sportsman. He had a love affair with several other actors, including Judy Garland and Marlene Dietrich. He even fought for refugees with the United Nations. Upon his death, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered at the Abbey of Saint-Michel de Bois-Aubry.
As a result of his success on the stage and screen, Brynner became a very popular celebrity. It was said that he had a very recognizable voice.
