Charles Laughton (1 July, 1899 – 15 December, 1962) was a British-born American stage and film actor.

Early life and career

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Laughton was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire. His mother was a devout Catholic and he attended the famed Jesuit school, Stonyhurst College, in Lancashire, England.He served during World War I [http://www.huntscycles.co.uk/C%20L%201%20Home%20Page.htm and was gassed, which may have had something to do with his untimely death from cancer at the age of 63.

At first he went into the family business (hotels), while participating in amateur theatricals in Scarborough. Finally allowed by his family to become a drama student at RADA in 1925, he would make his first professional stage appearance in 1926. Despite not having the looks for a romantic lead, he impressed audiences with his talent and played many classical roles before making his film debut in 1932. His best-remembered film role of that year was as Nero in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Sign of the Cross", although in this year he turned out a number of memorable performances like Dr. Moreau in "Island of Lost Souls", and the little clerk in the segment of "If I had a Million" directed by Ernst Lubitsch.

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