Yul Brynner

Yul Brynner
Юл Бринер
Brynner in 1960
Born	Yuliy Borisovich Briner (1920-07-11)July 11, 1920 Vladivostok, Far Eastern Republic
Died	October 10, 1985(1985-10-10) (aged 65) New York City, U.S.
Resting place	Abbaye royale Saint-Michel de Bois-Aubry (near Luzé, France)
Citizenship	Soviet Union United States (renounced) Switzerland
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1941–1985
Spouses	Virginia Gilmore ​ ​ (m. 1944; div. 1960)​ Doris Kleiner ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1967)​ Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1981)​ Kathy Lee ​ (m. 1983)​
Children	5

Yuliy Borisovich Briner (Russian: Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical The King and I (1951), for which he won two Tony Awards, and later an Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1956 film adaptation. He played the role 4,625 times on stage and became known for his shaved head, which he maintained as a personal trademark long after adopting it for The King and I.

Considered one of the first Russian-American film stars,^[1] he was honored with a ceremony to put his handprints in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in 1956. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

In 1956, Brynner received the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Rameses II in the Cecil B. DeMille epic The Ten Commandments and General Bounine in Anastasia. He was also well known as the gunman Chris Adams in The Magnificent Seven (1960) and its first sequel Return of the Seven (1966). He had roles as the android "The Gunslinger" in Westworld (1973), and its sequel, Futureworld (1976).^[2]

In addition to his film credits, he worked as a model and photographer. He also wrote several books.^[3][4]