Paul Muni | |
|---|---|
 Muni in 1936 | |
| Born | Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund September 22, 1895 |
| Died | August 25, 1967 (aged 71) Montecito, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Other names | Muni Weisenfreund |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1908–1962 |
| Spouse |
Bella Finkel (m. 1921) |
Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895[1] – August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor from Chicago. He started his acting career in the Yiddish theater and during the 1930s, he was considered one of the most prestigious actors at the Warner Bros. studio and was given the rare privilege of choosing his own parts.
Muni often played powerful characters, such as the lead role in Scarface (1932), and was known for his intense preparation for his parts, often immersing himself in the study of the real characters' traits and mannerisms. He was also highly skilled in makeup techniques, a talent that he had learned from his parents, who were also actors, and from his early years on stage with the Yiddish theater in Chicago. At the age of 12, he played the stage role of an 80-year-old man, and in the film Seven Faces, he played seven characters.
Muni appeared in 22 films and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor five times, winning the award for his role in the 1936 film The Story of Louis Pasteur. He also starred in numerous Broadway plays and won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in the 1955 production of Inherit the Wind.
- ^ "Ksiega urodzin izraelickiego okregu metrykalnego Lwów: Rocznik 1895" [Book of Jewish Births for the Record District of Lviv: Year 1895]. Central Archive of Historical Records. February 12, 2016. p. 384. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
Entry Number 1258 – Born: September 14, 1895; Naming or Circumcision Date: September 22, 1895;