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{{Short description|Russian-born actor (1920–1985)}}{{Redirect2|Yul Brenner|Brynner|the fictional Jamaican bobsledder|Cool Runnings|6=Brynner (disambiguation)}}{{Family name hatnote|Borisovich|Briner|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Infobox actor
| name = Yul Brynner
| image = Yul Brynner in The Ten Commandments film trailer.jpg
| imagesize = 175px
| caption = from the trailer for '']'' (1956)
| birth_name = Yuliy Borisovich Bryner
| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1920|07|11}}
| birth_place = ], ], ]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1985|10|10|1920|07|11}}
| death_place = {{city-state|New York City|New York}}, U.S.
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1941–1985
| spouse = {{marriage|]|1944|1960}} (divorced)<br>{{marriage|Doris Kleiner|1960|1967}} (divorced)<br>{{marriage|Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume|1971|1981}} (divorced)<br>{{marriage|Kathy Lee|1983|1985}} (his death)}}


{{Use American English|date=September 2021}}
'''Yul Brynner''' ({{lang-ru|Юлий Борисович Бринер}}, ''Julij Borisovič Briner''; July 11, 1920{{ndash}}October 10, 1985)<ref name="Social Security Death Index">Record of Yul Brynner, #108-18-2984. Social Security Administration. ]: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2006</ref> was a ]n-born actor of ] and ].<ref>Obituary '']'', October 16, 1985.</ref> He was best known for his portrayal of ], king of ], in the ] musical '']'' on both stage and screen, as well as ] in the 1956 ] film '']'' and Chris Adams in '']''. Brynner was noted for his deep, rich voice and for his shaven head, which he maintained as a personal trademark after adopting it for his role in '']''. He was also a photographer and the author of two books.
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Yul Brynner
| image = Publicity press photo of Yul Brynner in 1960 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Brynner in 1960
| birth_name = Yuliy Borisovich Briner
| native_name = {{Nobold|{{Lang|ru|Юл Бриннер}}}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|7|11}}
| birth_place = ], ]
| citizenship = {{ubl|Soviet Union|United States (renounced)|Switzerland}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|10|10|1920|7|11}}
| death_place = New York City, U.S.
| resting_place = ] (near ], France)
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1941–1985
| spouse = {{plainlist}}
* {{marriage|]|1944|1960|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Doris Kleiner|1960|1967|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume|1971|1981|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Kathy Lee|1983<!--Omission per Template:Marriage instructions-->}}
{{endplainlist}}
| children = 5
}}
'''Yuliy Borisovich Briner''' ({{langx|ru|Юлий Борисович Бринер}}; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as '''Yul Brynner''' ({{langx|ru|Юл Бриннер}}), was a Russian-born actor. He was known for his portrayal of King ] in the ] stage musical '']'' (1951), for which he won two ], and later an ] for the 1956 ]. 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 ] film stars,<ref>Obituary '']'', October 16, 1985.</ref> he was honored with a ceremony to put his handprints in front of ] in Hollywood in 1956. He also received a star on the ] in 1960.

In 1956, Brynner received the ] for his portrayal of ] in the ] epic '']'' and General Bounine in '']''. He was also well known as the gunman ] in '']'' (1960) and its first sequel '']'' (1966). He had roles as the ] "The Gunslinger" in '']'' (1973), and its sequel, '']'' (1976).<ref name=filmo/>

In addition to his film credits, he worked as a model and photographer. He also wrote several books.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yulbrynnerphotographer.com/|title=Yul Brynner: A Photographic Journey|website=yulbrynnerphotographer.com|access-date=April 21, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1213807.Yul_Brynner|title=Yul Brynner's books|work=]|access-date=April 21, 2018}}</ref>


==Early life== ==Early life==
===In Russia===
Yul Brynner was born '''Yuliy Borisovich Bryner''' in 1920.<ref>Some sources cite 1915 as his year of birth</ref> He exaggerated his background and early life for the press, claiming that he was born '''Taidje Khan''' of part-]-] parentage, on the Russian island of ]. In reality, he was born at home in a four-story residence at #15 Aleutskaya Street, ], ], ].<ref></ref> He also infrequently referred to himself as '''Julius Briner'''.<ref name="Social Security Death Index" /> A ] written by his son Rock Brynner in 1989 clarified these issues.
], ], where Yul Brynner was born and lived from 1920 to 1927]]
Yul Brynner was born Yuliy Borisovich Briner on July 11, 1920,<ref name="Social Security Death Index">Record of Yul Brynner, #108-18-2984. Social Security Administration. {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127100448/http://searches.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ssdi.html |date=November 27, 2012}} Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2006.<br> In his biography of his father, Rock Yul Brynner, he asserts that he was born in the later year (1920).</ref><ref name="Intent p 21">United States Declaration of Intent (Document No. 541593), Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685–2004, filed June 4, 1943</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.imninalu.net/famousGypsies.htm |title=Famous Gypsies |website=www.imninalu.net |access-date=2011-01-31 |archive-date=2016-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326095726/http://www.imninalu.net/famousGypsies.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> in the city of ].<ref>. ] Retrieved October 19, 2016.</ref> He had Swiss-German, Russian, and ] (Mongol) ancestry. He also identified as having ] ancestry; however, recent scholarship does not support that claim.<ref name= hancock>{{cite journal |last= Hancock |first= Ian |author-link= Ian Hancock |title= The acquisition of English by American Romani children |journal= WORD |volume= 27 |year= 1971 |issue= 1–3 |publisher= ] |pages= 353–362 |doi= 10.1080/00437956.1971.11435631 |quote= There are many such individuals (ie, who have Romani ancestry but who are ignorant, at least at first hand, of their language and culture)-Yul Brynner and Ava Gardner are two well-known examples.|doi-access= free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author= Klímová-Alexander, Ilona|title= The Development and Institutionalization of Romani Representation and Administration. Part 3b: From National Organizations to International Umbrellas (1945–1970)—the International Level|journal= ]|volume= 35|issue= 4|year= 2007|publisher= ]|pages= 627–661|doi= 10.1080/00905990701475079|s2cid= 154810008|quote= Yul Brynner (the half-Romani Hollywood star)}}</ref><ref name="Vera1" /><ref name="Vera2" /> He was born at his parents' home, a four-storey house on 15 Aleutskaya Street, Vladivostok, into a wealthy Swiss Russian family of landowners and ] mining developers in ] and the ]. He was named after his grandfather merchant Yuliy Ivanovich Brinner.


At the time the territory was controlled by the ] - a ] ]. Vladivostok was under ] until 1922. The Briner family enjoyed a good life at their four-storey mansion.
His father, Boris Julievich Bryner, was a mining ] whose father, Jules Bryner, was ] and whose mother, Natalya Iosifevna Kurkutova, was a native of ] and was partly of ] Mongol ancestry.<ref name="bookref1"/>


In October 1922, the ] occupied Vladivostok, and most of the Briner family's wealth was confiscated and nationalized at the end of the ]. The Briners were stripped of home ownership, but the family, including Yul's elder sister Vera, continued living in their house under a temporary status.<ref name="bryners.ru"></ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/Vladivostok/Bryner.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822191641/http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/Vladivostok/Bryner.htm|url-status=dead|title=Briner Residence|archive-date=August 22, 2009}}</ref><ref>"," encyclopedia.com. Retrieved August 29, 2020.</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"></ref>
His mother, Marousia Dimitrievna (née Blagovidova), came from the ] and studied to be an actress and singer; she was the daughter of a doctor who had converted from ] to the ].<ref name="bookref1">{{cite book|last=Brynner|first=Rock|authorlink=|coauthors=|title=Empire & odyssey: the Brynners in Far East Russia and beyond|publisher=Steerforth Press|year=2006|location=|pages=20–30, 80–82|month=|url=|id=ISBN1586421026}}</ref>


Later in his life, Brynner humorously enjoyed telling tall tales and exaggerating his background and early life for the press, claiming that he was born Taidje Khan of a ] father and Roma mother on the Russian island of ].<ref name="rockbrynner">Brynner, Rock. ''Yul: The Man Who Would Be King'' Berkeley Books: 1991; {{ISBN|0-425-12547-5}}</ref> He occasionally referred to himself as Julius Briner,<ref name="Social Security Death Index" /> Jules Bryner, or Youl Bryner.<ref name="Intent p 21" /> The 1989 biography by his son, Rock Brynner, clarified some of these issues.<ref name="rockbrynner" />
He was also a ] on his mother's side, and in 1977, he was named Honorary President of the ], an office that he kept until his death.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|title='Gypsies Appeal to U.N. for Aid And Protection of Civil Rights'|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50D17FA385513728DDDAD0894DE405B888BF1D3 |work=]|date=June 4, 1978|accessdate=September, 19 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/8/Yul-Brynner.html|title=Yul Brynner: Biography|publisher=filmreference.com|date=|accessdate=2009-10-13}}</ref>


Brynner's father, Boris Yuliyevich Briner, was a ] and inventor of Swiss-German and Russian descent. He had graduated from ] in ] in 1910. The actor's grandfather, Jules Briner (]), was a Swiss citizen who had moved to Vladivostok in the 1870s and established a successful import/export company.<ref name=Rochman>Rochman, Sue. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102211932/http://www.cancertodaymag.org/Winter2011/Pages/yul-brynner-lung-cancer.aspx |date=November 2, 2016}}, ''Cancer Today'' magazine, Winter 2011 (December 5, 2011). Retrieved January 20, 2013.</ref>
After Boris Bryner abandoned his family, his mother took Yul and his sister, Vera Bryner, to ], ], where they attended a school run by the ], and in 1934 she took them to ]. During ], Brynner worked as a French-speaking radio announcer and commentator for the U.S. ], broadcasting propaganda to occupied France.
Brynner's paternal grandmother, Natalya Yosifovna Kurkutova, was a native of ] and a Eurasian of partial ] ancestry.

Brynner's mother, Maria (Marousia) Dimitrievna (née Blagovidova, Мария Дмитриевна Благовидова<ref>{{Cite web |title=Мария и Вера Благовидовы-Бринер |url=http://bryners.ru/main.php?bryner=12 |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=bryners.ru}}</ref>), hailed from the Russian ] and had studied to be an actress and singer. According to her son, she was of Russian Roma ancestry,<ref name= hancock/> but documents examined by modern historians of Vladivostok claimed the Briner family had no blood connections with Roma. Yul came into close contact with this culture in exile while working with his sister, singer Vera Brinner, and they were looking for a stage image. Vera later sharply objected to this appropriation.<ref name="Vera1">{{Cite web |last=Жукова |first=Елена |date=2020-07-22 |title=Цыган, монгол или сахалинец? |url=https://vl.aif.ru/culture/cygan_mongol_ili_sahalinec |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=AiF |language=ru}}</ref><ref name="Vera2">{{Cite web |title=Вера Бриннер |url=http://bryners.ru/main.php?bryner=4 |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=bryners.ru}}</ref> Brynner felt a strong personal connection to the Roma. In 1977 he was named honorary president of the ], a title that he kept until his death.<ref name="book">{{cite book |author=Daniel C. Blum |title=Great Stars of the American Stage |publisher=] |year=1954 |page=137}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Pankok, Moritz |date=April 12, 2015 |title=The Roma Theatre Pralipe |url=https://www.romarchive.eu/en/theatre-and-drama/institutional-theatre/roma-theatre-pralipe/ |access-date=2017-06-26 |website=romarchive.eu}}</ref>

In 1922, after the formation of the ], Yul's father Boris Briner was required to relinquish his Swiss citizenship. All family members were made Soviet citizens. Brynner's father's work required extensive travel, and in 1923, in Moscow he fell in love with an actress, Katerina Ivanovna Kornakova. She was the ex-wife of actor ], and stage partner of ] at the ]. Many years later, Katerina Kornakova would help Brynner with her letter of recommendation asking Michael Chekhov to employ him in his theatre company in the United States.

In 1924, Yul's father divorced his mother Marousia, but continued to support her and their children. His father also adopted a girl, because his new wife was childless. Many years later, after the death of his father, Brynner would take this adopted sister into his care. The father and son relationship remained complex and emotionally traumatic for Brynner.

After leaving his children and his former wife in Vladivostok, Boris Briner lived briefly in Moscow with Katerina Ivanovna Kornakova, but eventually they moved to ], ]. At that time it remained under Japanese control. Briner established a business in international trade.<ref name="bryners.ru"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/>

===In China===
In 1927, Marousia Briner took her children, Yuliy and Vera (January 17, 1916 – December 13, 1967), and emigrated from Vladivostok to Harbin, China. There, young Yul and Vera attended a school run by the ].<ref name="bryners.ru"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/>

In 1930, Boris gave Yuliy an ] as a birthday present. That guitar and the following ] made a lasting influence on Brynner's artistic development. His natural ], ], and ] became focused on mastering the ] and studying classical and contemporary music. Brynner studied music under the guidance of his sister Vera, who was a classically trained ]. After several years of arduous studies, Brynner became an accomplished ] player and singer.<ref name="bryners.ru"/>

===In France and Switzerland===
In 1933, fearing a war between China and Japan, Marousia Briner moved with her children to ]. Many Russians had moved there in exile after the Revolution.<ref name="Rochman" /> There, on June 15, 1935, the fourteen-year-old Brynner made his debut at the "Hermitage" cabaret, where he played his guitar and sang in the Russian and Roma languages. After initial success, he continued performing at various Parisian nightclubs, sometimes accompanying his sister, and playing and singing Russian and Roma songs. At that time, Brynner was a student at a lyceum in Paris, where he studied French. His classmates and teachers were aware of his strong character, as he was often involved in ].

In the summer of 1936, Brynner worked as a lifeguard at a resort beach in ]. There he joined a French circus troupe, trained as a ] ] and worked with a circus troupe for several years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS3dd-OhsP4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/cS3dd-OhsP4| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live |title=Yul Brynner Interview with Bill Boggs |date=2012-06-26 |via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After sustaining a back injury, he left the circus troupe. In nearly unbearable ], Brynner took ] for relief. He soon developed a ].

One day, while buying ] from a local dealer, Brynner met ] (1889{{ndash}}1963) and the two became lifelong friends. Cocteau introduced Brynner to ], ], ], ], and the bohemian milieu of Paris. The experience and connections eventually helped him in his multifaceted career of acting, directing, and producing.<ref name="bryners.ru"/>

Seventeen-year-old Brynner became a drug addict and the family tried to help him treat the illness. He spent a year in ], ] treating his addiction at a Swiss clinic and at ] with financial support from his aunt Vera Dmitrievna Blagovidova-Briner, his mother's sister. Dmitrievna was a physician trained at medical school in ], Russia, before the revolution. She later practiced in China and Switzerland. The year-long treatment in Switzerland, which included ], had a lasting effect on Brynner's health. Yul never used illicit drugs again in his life. He later became addicted to cigarettes, which damaged his lungs and ruined his health as he aged.<ref name="Rochman" /><ref>Seiler, Michael. , ''Los Angeles Times''</ref>

In Harbin, Brynner's father had a lucrative trade business and lived with his second wife, actress Katerina Ivanovna Kornakova. She gave Brynner his first professional acting lessons by showing him scenes from her repertoire at Moscow Art Theatre. She instructed him in how to respond to her lines using his voice tone and body language. During their first lessons, Katerina Kornakova demonstrated and explained to Brynner the principles of ]'s school of acting, and the innovative ideas of ]. Brynner was excited and impressed with the new experience. His father initially tried to prepare his son for a management position at their family business, but changed his mind after watching several acting lessons and witnessing Brynner's happiness.

Katerina Kornakova was impressed with Brynner's intellectual and physical abilities and recommended him to study acting with her former partner ]. Brynner took the letter of recommendation from his stepmother and also accepted money and blessings from his father. With the generous support from both his father and stepmother, Brynner became encouraged and confident in his future success as an actor.

At the same time, Brynner's mother's illness{{clarification needed |date=August 2024}} progressed and required special medical treatment that was available only in the United States. Brynner traveled with his mother on a long trip across the world.<ref name="Rochman" /><ref name="bryners.ru"/>

===In the USA===
]
In 1940, speaking little English, Brynner and his mother emigrated to the United States aboard the {{SS|President Cleveland|1920|2}}, departing from ], Japan. They arrived in San Francisco on October 25, 1940. His final destination was New York City, where his sister already lived.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXHW-H4S |title=FamilySearch.org |website=]}}</ref><ref name="Intent p 21" /><ref name="Rochman" /> Vera, a singer, starred in '']'' on Broadway in 1950.<ref>, at the Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved January 20, 2013.</ref> She also appeared on television in the title role of the opera '']''. She later taught voice in New York.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OkbpkXl3lMwC&dq=vera+brynner&pg=PA56|title=Voice teacher |work=Ebony |date=1966-10-23 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

During ] Brynner worked as a French-speaking radio announcer and commentator for the US ], broadcasting to occupied France. He also worked for the ], broadcasting in Russian to the ].<ref>Brynner, Rock. ''Yul: The Man Who Would Be King'' (p. 30) Berkeley Books: 1991. {{ISBN|0-425-12547-5}}</ref> At the same time, during the war years, he studied acting in ] with the Russian actor Michael Chekhov. He worked as a truck driver and stage hand for Chekhov's theatre company.<ref name="ReferenceB"></ref>

By the time he turned 21, Brynner had already made several international journeys around the world, traveling between Asia, Europe, and America. Such extensive traveling contributed to his exposure to a variety of cultures and may have enriched his creativity.{{cn|date=August 2024}}


==Career== ==Career==
===1940s===
He began acting and modeling in his twenties, and early in his career he was photographed nude by ].<ref>Leddick, David. George Platt Lynes. New York: Taschen, 2000</ref>
In 1941, Brynner made his stage debut in a ] production of ]'s '']'' that premiered on December 2, 1941. In it, Brynner appeared as Fabian. He had to deliver only a few lines, as his English was limited and he had a noticeable Russian accent. The job helped him to start adding English to the list of languages he spoke, which included Russian, French, Japanese, and Hungarian.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 1985">{{cite web | title=Yul Brynner Dies at 65; 30 Years in 'King and I' | website=Los Angeles Times | date=October 10, 1985 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-10-mn-15605-story.html | access-date=August 30, 2022}}</ref> The show closed, as did many other Broadway productions, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when America declared war on ] and ].


Soon Brynner found a job as a radio commentator presenting war propaganda in French and Russian at the ] radio station. He had little acting work during the next few years.<ref name="Rochman" /> But he co-starred in a 1946 production of '']'' with ]. He also did some modeling work and was photographed nude by ].<ref>Leddick, David. ''George Platt Lynes'', New York: Taschen, 2000.</ref><ref name="ReferenceB"/>
Brynner's best-known role was that of King ] of ] in the ] production of ]'s ] '']'', which he played 4,525 times on stage over the span of his career. He appeared in the original production and later touring productions, as well as a 1977 Broadway revival, London Production in 1979 and another Broadway revival in 1985. He also appeared in the film version for which he won an ] as ], and in a short-lived TV version ('']'') on ] in 1972. Brynner is one of only nine people who have won both a ] and an ] for the ]. His connection to the story and the role of King Mongkut is so deep, he was mentioned in the song "]" from the 1984 musical ], whose second act is set in Bangkok.


] Paul Vicola, a supporting role in '']'' (1949)]]
He made an immediate impact upon launching his film career in 1956, appearing not only in '']'' that year, but also in major roles in '']'' with ] and '']'' with ]. Brynner, at 5'10", was reportedly concerned about being overshadowed by ]'s height and physical presence in ''The Ten Commandments'' and prepared with an intensive weight-lifting program.


In 1944 Brynner married actress ]. Soon after he began working as a director at the new ] television studios. In 1948 and 1949, he directed and also appeared on television alongside his wife in the first two seasons of '']''. He also appeared in other shows.
He later starred in such films as the Biblical epic '']'' (1959), '']'' (1960), and '']'' (1963). He co-starred with ] in '']'' (1965), ] in '']'' (1969) and ] in a film version of '']'' (1958). He played the titular role of '']'' (1975) and starred with ] in '']'' (1976).


Brynner made his film debut in '']'', released in November 1949.<ref> tcm.com, retrieved May 30, 2019</ref>
Among his final feature film appearances were in ]'s '']'' (1973) and its sequel '']'' (1976). Brynner also appeared in drag (as a ]), in an unbilled role in the ] comedy '']'' (1969).


===1950s===
==Photographer, author, and musician==
====''The King and I''====
In addition to his work as a performer, Brynner was an active photographer, and wrote two books. His daughter Victoria put together ''Yul Brynner: Photographer'' (ISBN 0-8109-3144-3) a collection of his photographs of family, friends, and fellow actors, as well as those he took while serving as a UN special consultant on refugees. Brynner wrote ''Bring Forth the Children: A Journey to the Forgotten People of Europe and the Middle East'' (1960) and ''The Yul Brynner Cookbook: Food Fit for the King and You'' (1983 ISBN 0-8128-2882-8).
The next year, at the urging of Martin, Brynner auditioned for ]'s new musical in New York. He recalled that, as he was finding success as a director on television, he was reluctant to go back on the stage. Once he read the script, however, he was fascinated by the character of the King and was eager to perform in the project.<ref>Capua, pp. 26, 28</ref>


] in the original production of ''The King and&nbsp;I'' (1951)]]
A student of music from childhood, Brynner was an accomplished guitarist and singer. In his early period in Europe he often played and sang gypsy songs in Parisian nightclubs with Aliosha Dimitrievitch. He sang some of those same songs in the film '']''. In 1967, he and Dimitrievitch released a record album, ''The Gypsy and I: Yul Brynner Sings Gypsy Songs'' (Vanguard VSD 79265).
Brynner's role as ] in '']'' (4,625 times on stage) became his best known. He appeared in the original 1951 production and later touring productions, as well as a 1977 Broadway revival, a London production in 1979, and another Broadway revival in 1985. He won the ] for the first of these Broadway productions and a special Tony for the last.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/winners/?q=brynner|title=Winners|website=www.tonyawards.com}}</ref>

He reprised the role in the ], for which he won an ] as ]. He also played it in '']'', a short-lived TV series on ] in 1972. Brynner is one of only ten people who have won both a Tony and an ] for the same role.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/history/facts/|title=tonyawards.com|access-date=August 9, 2013|archive-date=July 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704091953/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/history/facts/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1951 Brynner shaved his head for his role in ''The King and I''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Yul Brynner, 65, dies of cancer in N.Y. hospital|newspaper=]|date=October 10, 1985}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Lost' actor stars in West End's 'King'|url=http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2009/06/18/Lost-actor-stars-in-West-Ends-King/UPI-54921245381356|newspaper=UPI.com}}</ref> Following the huge success of the Broadway production and subsequent film, Brynner continued to shave his head for the rest of his life. He wore a wig when necessary for certain roles. Brynner's shaven head was unusual at the time, and his striking appearance helped to give him an exotic appeal.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brynner|first=Rock|title=Empire & odyssey: the Brynners in Far East Russia and beyond|year=2006|publisher=Steerforth Press}}</ref> Some fans shaved off their hair to imitate him.<ref>{{cite book|last=Crouse|first=Richard|title=Reel Winners: Movie Award Trivia|publisher=Dundurn|year=2005|url=https://archive.org/details/reelwinnersmovie0000crou|url-access=registration|page=}}</ref> A shaven head was often referred to as the "Yul Brynner look".<ref>{{cite book|last=Doyle|first=Hubert|title=Ventures with the World of Celebrities, Movies & TV|year=2008|publisher=Joshua Tree |isbn=9780976867760|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IywAvmhXLPkC&pg=PA112}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Douty|first=Linda|title=How Did I Get to Be 70 When I'm 35 Inside?: Spiritual Surprises of Later Life|year=2011|publisher=SkyLight Paths |isbn=9781594732973|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WWL0FrvB0PIC&pg=PA50}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Yacowar|first=Maurice|title=The Bold Testament|year=1999|publisher=Bayeus |isbn=9781896209319|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eX060DD19MC&pg=PA139}}</ref>

Brynner's second motion picture was the film version of '']'' (1956) with ]. It was a huge success critically and commercially.<ref>Miller, Frank. tcm.com, retrieved May 30, 2019</ref>

]'' (1956)]]
] hired Brynner for '']'' (1956) to play ] opposite ] after seeing him in the stage version of ''The King and I,'' telling Brynner backstage that he was the only person for the role.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yul Brynner: The Ten Commandments|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObdUuw5JETo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ObdUuw5JETo| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|website=YouTube| date=November 2, 2010 |publisher=Janson Media|access-date=April 2, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He rounded out his year with '']'' (1956), co-starring with ] under the direction of ]. Both films were big hits and Brynner became one of the most in-demand stars in Hollywood. {{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

MGM cast Brynner as one of '']'' (1958), which was another commercial success. Less so was '']'' (1958), in which Brynner played ]; he co-starred with Heston, ], ] and ] in a historically accurate tale of the ]. The film was produced by De Mille and directed by ].

MGM used Brynner again in '']'' (1959), opposite Kerr under the direction of Litvak, but the film lost money. So too did '']'' (1959) based on the novel by ] with ].

However, Brynner then received an offer to replace ], who had died during the making of '']'' (1959) with ]. The movie was a huge hit, which postponed the development of a planned Brynner film about ]. When the ] film '']'' (1960) came out, Brynner elected not to make his own version.<ref>"Future Still in Doubt for Power's Last Film: One of 3 Coproducers Reportedly Engaged Yul Brynner Without Consulting Partners". Los Angeles Times. November 19, 1958. p. 28.</ref>

===1960s===
Brynner tried comedy with two films directed by ]: '']'' (1960) and '']'' (1960), but public response was underwhelming. He made a cameo in '']''.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Film|last=Monaco|first=James|publisher=Perigee Books|year=1991|isbn=9780399516047|pages=|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoffi00mona/page/121}}</ref>

] in '']'' (1960)]]
Although the public received him well in '']'' (1960), a Western adaptation of '']'' for ], the picture proved a disappointment on its initial release in the U.S. However, it was hugely popular in Europe and has had enduring popularity. Its ultimate success led to Brynner's signing a three-picture deal with the Mirisches.<ref>"Looking at Hollywood: Yul Brynner, Mirisch Co. Ink 12 Million Dollar Pact" Hopper, Hedda. ''Chicago Daily Tribune'' July 6, 1961: c8.</ref> The film was especially popular in the ].<ref>{{cite web |title="Великолепная семерка" (The Magnificent Seven, 1960) |url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/8207/ |website=] |access-date=August 27, 2019 |language=ru}}</ref> He then made a cameo in '']'' (1961).

Brynner focused on action films. He did '']'' (1962), with ] as director, and '']'' (1962), with ] for ]. Both films were commercial disappointments; ''Taras Bulba'' was popular but failed to recoup its large cost.

The first film under Brynner's three-picture deal with Mirisch was '']'' (1963) with ]. It was followed by '']'' (1963), also with Chakiris, directed by Thompson. Neither film was particularly popular; nor was '']'' (1964), a western. '']'' (1965), opposite ], failed to reverse the series of unsuccessful movies. He had cameos in '']'' (1966) and '']'' (1966).<ref name=filmo/>

Brynner enjoyed a hit with '']'' (1966), reprising his role from the original. Less popular were '']'' (1966), a war movie with ]; '']'' (1967), a spy thriller; '']'' (1967), an Imperial adventure tale opposite ]; '']'' (1968), a Western; and '']'' (1969).<ref name=filmo/>

]'' in ] on November 29, 1969<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sarajevotimes.com/fifty-years-ago-on-this-day-there-were-6-000-guests-at-the-opening-of-skenderija/|title=Fifty Years ago on This Day there were 6.000 Guests at the Opening of ''Skenderija''|work=Sarajevo Times|date=November 27, 2019|access-date=December 20, 2019|last1=Z |first1=Y. }}</ref>]]
Brynner went to Yugoslavia to star in a war film, '']'' (1969). He supported ] in the big-budget flop '']'' (1969). Brynner appeared in drag (as a ]) in an unbilled role in the ] comedy '']'' (1969).<ref>Krafsur, Richard P., ed. ''American Film Institute Catalog, Feature Films 1961–1970'' (p. 662), R.R. Bowker Company, 1976; {{ISBN|0-8352-0453-7}}</ref>

===Later career===
Brynner went to Italy to make a ], '']'' (1970) and supported ] in '']'' (1971). He remained in lead roles for '']'' (1971) and a Western, '']'' (1971).<ref name=filmo/>

Brynner had a small role in '']'' (1972)<ref name=filmo/> then reprised his most famous part in the TV series '']'' (1972) which ran for 13 episodes.

After '']'' (1973) in Europe, Brynner created one of his iconic roles in the ] film '']'' (1973) as the 'Gunslinger', a killer robot. His next two films were variations on this performance: '']'' (1975) and '']'' (1976).<ref name=filmo> tcm.com, retrieved May 30, 2019</ref>

Brynner returned to Broadway in '']'', a notorious flop musical. His final movie was '']'' (1976), an Italian action film.


==Personal life== ==Personal life==
Although Brynner had become a ] U.S. citizen, aged 22, in 1943, while living in New York as an actor and radio announcer,<ref name="Intent p 21" /> he ] at the U.S. Embassy in ], Switzerland, in June 1965 because he had lost his ] as an American resident working abroad. He had stayed too long in the United States meaning he would be bankrupted by his tax and penalty debts imposed by the ].<ref name="bio">{{cite book|last=Capua|first=Michelangelo|year=2006|title=Yul Brynner, A Biography|publisher=McFarland|isbn=0-7864-2461-3}}</ref>
Brynner was married four times, the first three ending in divorce. He fathered three children and adopted two.


In 2006, Brynner's son Rock wrote a book about his father and his family history titled ''Empire and Odyssey: The Brynners in Far East Russia and Beyond''. He regularly returned to Vladivostok, the city of his father's birth, for the Pacific Meridian Film Festival.
He and his first wife, actress ] (1944–1960), had one child, Yul Brynner II, who was born on December 23, 1946. His father nicknamed him "Rock" when he was six in honor of ] ], who won the middleweight title in 1947. Rock is a historian, novelist, and university history lecturer at ] in ] and ] in ]. In 2006, Rock wrote a book about his father and his family history titled ''Empire and Odyssey: The Brynners in Far East Russia and Beyond''.


===Health===
His daughter Lark Brynner (born 1958) was born out of wedlock and raised by her mother, Frankie Tilden, who was 20 years old at the time of the birth. Brynner supported her financially. Brynner's second wife, Doris Kleiner (1960–1967), was a ]an model, whom he married on the set during shooting of '']'' in 1960.<ref></ref> They had one child, Victoria Brynner (born November 1962), whose godmother was ].
In 1979, Brynner settled out of court after allegedly contracting ] at ]'s in New York City.<ref>{{Cite news |title=TimesMachine: Wednesday October 17, 1979 - NYTimes.com |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1979/10/17/issue.html |access-date=2024-09-04 |work=The New York Times |language=en |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>


In September 1983, Brynner suffered a sore throat, his voice changed and doctors found a lump on his vocal cords. In Los Angeles, only hours before his 4,000th performance in ''The King and I'', he received the test results, which indicated that he had inoperable ], though his throat was not affected. Brynner had begun ] heavily at age 12. Although he had quit in 1971, his promotional photos often still showed him with a ] in hand, or a ] in his mouth. He and the national tour of the musical were forced to take a few months off while he underwent radiation therapy, which damaged his throat and made singing and speaking difficult.<ref name="Rochman" /> The tour then resumed.<ref>Capua, pp. 151–157</ref><ref>Rosenfeld, Megan.". '']'', December 6, 1984, p. B13. Retrieved December 28, 2012. {{subscription required}}</ref>
His third wife, Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume<ref name="bio">{{cite book|last=Capua|first=Michelangelo|coauthors=|year=2006|title=Yul Brynner, A Biography|publisher=McFarland|location=|isbn=0786424613}}</ref> (1971–1981), was a French socialite, the widow of Philippe de Croisset (son of French playwright ]), a publishing executive, the victim of a car accident. Brynner and Jacqueline adopted two ]ese children: Mia (1974), and Melody (1975). The first house that he ever owned was the Manoir de Cricqueboeuf, a sixteenth-century manor house that he and Jacqueline purchased.<ref name="bio" />


In January 1985, the tour reached New York for a farewell Broadway run. Aware he was dying, Brynner gave an interview on '']'' discussing the ] and expressing his desire to make an anti-smoking commercial. The Broadway production of ''The King and I'' ran from January 7 to June 30 of that year. His last performance, a few months before his death, marked the 4,625th time he had played the role of the King.
He married his fourth wife, Kathy Lee, a 24 year old ballerina from a small town in ] whom he had met in a production of '']'', in which she had a small dancing role. The marriage lasted for 2 years (1983–1985) until Brynner's death.<ref>{{cite news|title=Yul Brynner: Biography|url=http://www.tv.com/yul-brynner/person/18963/biography.html|author=tv.com}}</ref>

===Other interests===
In addition to his work as a director and performer, Brynner was an active photographer and wrote two books. His daughter Victoria put together ''Yul Brynner: Photographer'',<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Brynner |first1=Yul |title=Yul Brynner, photographer |last2=Brynner |first2=Victoria |date=1996 |publisher=Abrams |isbn=978-0-8109-3144-2 |location=New York}}</ref> a collection of his photographs of family, friends, and fellow actors, as well as those he took while serving as a UN special consultant on refugees.<ref>{{Cite web |last=King |first=Susan |date=December 14, 1996 |title=Seeing World Through Eyes of Yul Brynner, Photographer |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-14-ca-8840-story.html |access-date=March 16, 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 14, 2012 |title=Yul Brynner: a photographic journey - Telegraph |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/photography/9010603/Yul-Brynner-a-photographic-journey.html |access-date=March 16, 2024 |archive-date=January 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114222658/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/photography/9010603/Yul-Brynner-a-photographic-journey.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Yul Brynner Photographer by Yul Brynner |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780810931442 |access-date=March 16, 2024 |website=www.publishersweekly.com}}</ref>

Brynner wrote ''Bring Forth the Children: A Journey to the Forgotten People of Europe and the Middle East'' (1960), with photographs by himself and Magnum photographer ], and ''The Yul Brynner Cookbook: Food Fit for the King and You'' (1983).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Brynner |first1=Yul |title=The Yul Brynner cookbook: food fit for the king and you |last2=Reed |first2=Susan |date=1983 |publisher=Stein and Day |isbn=978-0-8128-2882-5 |location=New York}}</ref>

He enjoyed singing gypsy songs. In 1967, Dimitrievitch and he released a record album ''The Gypsy and I: Yul Brynner Sings Gypsy Songs'' (Vanguard VSD 79265).

===Relationships and marriages===
] in 1944]]
Brynner married four times, his first three marriages ending in divorce. He fathered three children and adopted two. His first wife (1944–1960) was actress ] with whom he had one child, Yul "Rock" Brynner (1946–2023). He was nicknamed "Rock" when he was six years old in honor of boxer ]. Rock was a historian, novelist, and university history lecturer at ] in ] and ] in ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Risen |first=Clay |date=October 25, 2023 |title=Rock Brynner, 76, Son of Hollywood Royalty Who Cut His Own Path, Dies |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/books/rock-brynner-dead.html |access-date=October 26, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Yul Brynner had a long affair with ], who was 19 years his senior, beginning during the first production of ''The King and I''.<ref>Capua, ; , ''The Telegraph'', November 11, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2014.</ref>

]
In 1959, Brynner fathered a daughter, Lark Brynner, with Frankie Tilden, who was 20 years old. Lark lived with her mother and Brynner supported her financially. His second wife, from 1960 to 1967, Doris Kleiner is a Chilean model whom he married on the set during shooting of ''The Magnificent Seven'' in 1960. They had one child, ] (born November 1962), whose godmother was ].<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930224456/http://www.elsur.cl/archivo/marzo2000/22marzo2000/elsur/despacho/opinion4.htm |date=September 30, 2007}}</ref> Belgian novelist and artist ] was also romantically linked with Brynner, from 1961 to 1967.<ref name="Matthys">{{citation|title=Alika Lindbergh, construite pour l'amour fou|first=Francis|last=Matthys |date=August 15, 2002|work=]|url=http://www.lalibre.be/culture/livres/alika-lindbergh-construite-pour-l-amour-fou-51b879d7e4b0de6db9a773d6|access-date=March 14, 2015}}</ref>

His third wife (1971–1981), Jacqueline Simone Thion de la Chaume (1932–2013), a French socialite, was the widow of Philippe de Croisset (son of French playwright ] and a publishing executive). Brynner and Jacqueline adopted two Vietnamese children: Mia (1974) and Melody (1975). The first house Brynner owned was the Manoir de Criquebœuf, a 16th-century manor house in northwestern France that Jacqueline and he purchased.<ref name="bio" /> His third marriage broke up, reportedly owing to his 1980 announcement that he would continue in the role of the King for another long tour and Broadway run, as well as his affairs with female fans and his neglect of his wife and children.<ref>Capua, p 151.</ref>

On April 4, 1983, aged 62, Brynner married his fourth and final wife, Kathy Lee (born 1957), a 26-year-old ballerina from ], Malaysia, whom he had met in a production of ''The King and I''. They remained married for the last two years of his life. His longtime close friends Meredith A. Disney and her sons Charles Elias Disney and Daniel H. Disney attended Brynner and Lee's final performances of ''The King and I''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Yul Brynner biography|url=http://www.tv.com/yul-brynner/person/18963/biography.html|author=tv.com|access-date=March 15, 2009|archive-date=August 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801143550/http://www.tv.com/yul-brynner/person/18963/biography.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Death== ==Death==
Brynner died of lung cancer on October 10, 1985, at New York Hospital at the age of 65.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cancertodaymag.org/Winter2011/Pages/yul-brynner-lung-cancer.aspx |title="A King's Legacy", ''Cancer Today magazine'', Winter 2011 |access-date=February 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102211932/http://www.cancertodaymag.org/Winter2011/Pages/yul-brynner-lung-cancer.aspx |archive-date=November 2, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube |iikQoFpNBNg |Anti-smoking PSA}}</ref> His remains were cremated and the ashes were buried in the grounds of the Saint-Michel-de-Bois-Aubry Orthodox monastery, near ], between ] and ] in France.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loirevalley-france.co.uk/organise-your-stay/visits/other-monuments-and-heritage/abbaye-royale-saint-michel-de-bois-aubry|title=Abbaye Royal Saint-Michel De Bois-Aubry: in Luze, The Loire Valley, a journey through France|website=Val de Loire, une balade en France}}</ref>
]
Brynner died of ] on October 10, 1985 in ], the same day as ].


===Anti-smoking campaign===
Knowing he was dying of cancer, Brynner starred in a run of farewell performances of his most famous role, ''The King and I'', on Broadway from January 7 to June 30, 1985, with ].
Prior to his death, with the help of the ], Brynner created a ] using a clip from the ''Good Morning America'' interview. A few days after his death, it premiered on all major US television networks and in other countries. Brynner used the announcement to express his desire to make an anti-smoking commercial after discovering he had cancer, and his death was imminent. He then looked directly into the camera for 30 seconds and said, "Now that I'm gone, I tell you: Don't smoke. Whatever you do, just don't smoke. If I could take back that smoking, we wouldn't be talking about any cancer. I'm convinced of that." His year of birth, in one version of the commercial, was incorrectly given as 1915.<ref>{{YouTube |MTCkO8dwTf4 |Anti-smoking PSA, wrong birth year}}</ref>


==Legacy==
Throughout his life, Brynner was often seen with a ] in his hand. In January 1985, nine months before his death, he gave an interview on '']'', expressing his desire to make an anti-smoking commercial.<ref></ref> A clip from that interview was made into just such a public service announcement by the ], and released after his death; it includes the warning "Now that I'm gone, I tell you, don't smoke. Whatever you do, just don't smoke. If I could take back that smoking, we wouldn't be talking about any cancer. I'm convinced of that." <ref></ref> This advertisement is now featured in the ] exhibition.
===In Russia===
]
On September 28, 2012, a 2.4-m-tall statue was inaugurated at Yul Brynner Park, in front of the home where Brynner was born at Aleutskaya St. No. 15 in Vladivostok, Russia. Created by local sculptor Alexei Bokiy, the monument was carved in granite ] that was acquired in China and delivered to Vladivostok, Russia. It depicts him in the role of King Mongkut of Siam from ''The King and I''. The grounds for the park were donated by the city of Vladivostok, which also paid additional costs. Vladivostok Mayor Igor Pushkariov, US Consul General Sylvia Curran, and Brynner's son, Rock, participated in the ceremony, along with hundreds of local residents.


The Briner family cottage in suburban Vladivostok is now a Yul Brynner museum.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rock Brynner in the Russian Far East|url=http://www.rockbrynner.com/|website=www.rockbrynner.com|access-date=April 7, 2016}}</ref>
Brynner is interred on the grounds of the Saint-Michel-de-Bois-Aubry Russian Orthodox monastery, not far from ], between ] and ], ], ].


==Honors and awards== ===In the U.S.===
Brynner has a star on the ] at 6162 ], and his childhood home, in Vladivostok, is now a museum. In 1956, Brynner imprinted his hands and feet into the concrete pavement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. In 1960, Brynner was honored with a star on the ] at 6162 ].


In 2022, a podcast was launched celebrating his filmography, entitled "Here's Looking at Yul, Kid," and has included guests such as ].<ref>{{Citation |title=We Watched Ron Howard's First-Ever Movie With Him! (From HLAYK Ep. 12 - The Journey) | date=August 10, 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ-FlC0OJAc |access-date=August 14, 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
He won the 1956 ] for his portrayal of the King of Siam in '']'' and made the "Top 10 Stars of the Year" list in both 1957 and 1958.


===In France===
In 1985, he received a Special ] honoring his 4,525 performances in ''The King and I''.<ref></ref>
Brynner spent many years living, studying, and working in France, and his last will stated his wish to be buried there. His resting place at ] has a memorial mention dedicated to him.


==Filmography== ==Filmography==
{{multiple image
Features:
<!-- Essential parameters -->
*'']'' (])
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*'']'' (1956)
| width = 190
*'']'' (1956)
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*'']'' (])
| image1 = Anastasia (1956) trailer 1.jpg
*'']'' (1958)
| width1 = 190
*'']'' (])
| caption1 = With ] in '']'' (1956)
*'']'' (1959)
<!-- Image 2 -->
*'']'' (1959)
| image2 = Yul Brynner as Dmitri Karamazov.jpg
*'']'' (])
| width2 = 200
*'']'' (1960)
*'']'' (1960) | caption2 = in '']'' (1958)
<!-- Image 3 -->
*'']'' (1960)
| image3 = Gina Lollobrigida and Yul Brynner, 1959.jpg
*'']'' (])
| width3 = 190
*'']'' (])
| caption3 = With ] in '']'' (1959)
*'']'' (1962)
<!-- Image 4 -->
*'']'' (])
| image4 = Yul Brynner in Kings of the Sun (1963).jpg
*'']'' (])
| width4 = 190
*'']'' (1964)
| caption4 = In '']'' (1963)
*'']'' (])
<!-- Image 5 -->
*'']'' (])
| image5 = Filmopnamen The light of the end of the world in Spanje, Bestanddeelnr 923-8617 (cropped).jpg
*'']'' (1966)
| width5 = 190
*'']'' (1966)
| caption5 = In '']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1966)
<!-- Image 6 -->
*'']'' (])
| image6 = Yul Brynner Anna and the King television 1972.JPG
*'']'' (1967)
| width6 = 190
*'']'' (])
| caption6 = In '']'' (1972)
*'']'' (])
}}
*'']'' (1969)
{| class="wikitable"
*'']'' (1969)
|-
*'']'' (1969)
! Year || Title || Role || Notes
*'']'' (1969)
|-
*'']'' (])
| 1949
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1971) | '']''
| Paul Vicola
*'']'' (1971)
|
*'']'' (])
|-
*'']'' (])
|rowspan="3"|1956
*'']'' (1973)
*'']'' (]) | '']''
| ]
*'']'' (])
| ]<br>] <small>(also for '']'' and'' ]'')</small><br>Nominated—]<br>Nominated—]
*'']'' (1976)
|-
| '']''
| ]
| ] <small>(also for'' ]'' and '']'')</small>
|-
| '']''
| General Sergei Pavlovich Bounine
| ] <small>(also for'' ]'' and'' ]'')</small>
|-
|rowspan="2"|1958
| '']''
| Dmitri Karamazov
|
|-
|'']''
| ]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|1959
|'']''
| Russian Major Surov
|
|-
| '']''
| Jason Compson
|
|-
| '']''
| ]
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|1960
| '']''
| Victor Fabian
|
|-
| '']''
| L'huissier / Court usher
| Uncredited
|-
| '']''
| Nico March
|
|-
| '']''
| Chris Larabee Adams
| Nominated—] for Top Action Performance
|-
|1961
|'']''
| Extra in nightclub scene
| Uncredited
|-
|rowspan="2"|1962
| '']''
| Sharif
|
|-
| '']''
| Taras Bulba
|
|-
|1963
|'']''
| Chief Black Eagle
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1964
| '']''
| Sgt. Mike Takashima
|
|-
| '']''
| Jules Gaspard d'Estaing
|
|-
|1965
|'']''
| Captain Mueller
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|1966
| '']''
| Asher Gonen
|
|-
| '']''
| Colonel Salem
| (also titled ''Danger Grows Wild'')
|-
| '']''
| Chris Adams
|
|-
|'']''
| Baron Von Grunen
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1967
| '']''
| Dan Slater / Kalmer
|
|-
| '']''
| Sultan
|
|-
|1968
| '']''
| ]
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|1969
| '']''
| Peter Novak
|
|-
| '']''
| Vlado (Vladimir Smirnov)
|
|-
| '']''
| The chairman
|
|-
| '']''
| Transvestite Cabaret Singer
| Uncredited
|-
|1970
| '']''
| Sabata / Indio Black
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|1971
| '']''
| Jonathan Kongre
|
|-
|'']''
| Captain Stoloff
|
|-
| '']''
| Catlow
|
|-
|1972
| '']''
| The Deaf Man
|
|-
|1972
| '']''
| ]
| TV series, 13 episodes
|-
|rowspan="2"|1973
|'']''
| Col. Alexei Vlassov
|
|-
| '']''
| The Gunslinger
|
|-
|1975
| '']''
| Carson
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1976
| '']''
| The Gunslinger
|
|-
|'']''
| Peter Marciani
|
|}

Short subjects: Short subjects:
*''On Location with Westworld'' (]) * ''On Location with Westworld'' (1973)
*''Lost to the Revolution'' (]) (narrator) * ''Lost to the Revolution'' (1980) (narrator)

===Box office ranking===
] at 6162 ]]]
At the height of his career, Brynner was voted by exhibitors as among the most popular stars at the box office:
* 1956 – 21st (US)
* 1957 – 10th (US), 10th (UK)
* 1958 – 8th (US)
* 1959 – 24th (US)
* 1960 – 23rd (US)

==Select stage work==
* '']'' (1941) (Broadway)
* '']'' (1946) (Broadway and US national tour)
* '']'' (1951) (Broadway and US national tour)
* '']'' (1976) (Broadway)
* ''The King and I'' (1977) (Broadway, London and US national tour)
* ''The King and I'' (1985) (Broadway)

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Nominated work
! Results
! Ref.
|-
| ]
| ]
| ]
| '']''
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1957 |title=The 29th Academy Awards (1957) Nominees and Winners |publisher=] |access-date=August 21, 2011}}</ref>
|-
| 1977
| ]s
| ]
| '']''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dramadesk.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/1977-awards/ |title=Nominees and Recipients – 1977 Awards |publisher=]s |access-date=October 3, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| ]
| ]
| ]
| ''The King and I''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/yul-brynner |title=Yul Brynner |publisher=] |access-date=October 3, 2023}}</ref>
|-
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| rowspan="2"| '']'' / ''The King and I'' / <br> '']''
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1956/ |title=1956 Award Winners |publisher=] |access-date=October 3, 2023}}</ref>
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| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nyfcc.com/awards/ |title=Awards – New York Film Critics Circle |publisher=] |access-date=October 3, 2023}}</ref>
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| ''The King and I''
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1952/category/any/show/any/ |title=1952 Tony Awards |publisher=] |access-date=October 3, 2023}}</ref>
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| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/special-awards/year/1985/category/any/show/any/ |title=1985 Tony Awards |publisher=] |access-date=October 3, 2023}}</ref>
|}


* In 1960, he was inducted into the ] with a ] at 6162 ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walkoffame.com/yul-brynner |title=Hollywood Walk of Fame – Yul Brynner |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |publisher=Hollywood Chamber of Commerce |access-date=December 28, 2017}}</ref>
==Stage work==
*'']'' (December 2–13, 1941) (Broadway)
*'']'' (February 11–27, 1943) (Broadway)
*'']'' (February 6 - June 8, 1946) (Broadway)
*'']'' (March 29, ] - March 20, 1954) (Broadway and national tour)
*'']'' (January 4, 1976) (Broadway)
*''] '' (Revival) (May 2, ] - December 30, 1978) (Broadway and national tour)
*''The King and I'' (Revival) (January 7 - June 30, 1985) (Broadway)


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist|30em}}


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}} {{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Capua|first=Michelangelo|publisher=McFarland|title=Yul Brynner: A Biography|year=2006|isbn=0-7864-2461-3}}
* {{cite book
|last = Michelangelo
|first = Capua
|title=Yul Brynner: A Biography
|year=2006
|isbn=0786424613
}}
{{Refend}} {{Refend}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{commons}} {{commons}}
*{{ibdb|33507}} * {{IBDB name}}
*{{imdb|989}} * {{IMDb name|989}}
*{{tcmdb name|24425}} * {{playbill person}}
*{{Amg name|9264}}
*{{tv.com person|18963}}
*{{Find a Grave|2966}}
*


{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Yul Brynner
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestActor 1941-1960}} {{AcademyAwardBestActor 1941-1960}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actor}}
{{Special Tony Award}}
{{TonyAward MusicalFeaturedActor 1947-1975}} {{TonyAward MusicalFeaturedActor 1947-1975}}
}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Persondata
|NAME= Brynner, Yul
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Bryner, Yuliy Borisovich
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=actor
|DATE OF BIRTH= July 11, 1920 (some sources indicate 1915)
|PLACE OF BIRTH= ], ]
|DATE OF DEATH= October 10, 1985
|PLACE OF DEATH= ], U.S.}}


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Latest revision as of 04:36, 28 December 2024

Russian-born actor (1920–1985)"Yul Brenner" and "Brynner" redirect here. For the fictional Jamaican bobsledder, see Cool Runnings. For other uses, see Brynner (disambiguation).In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Borisovich and the family name is Briner.

Yul Brynner
Юл Бриннер
Brynner in 1960
BornYuliy Borisovich Briner
(1920-07-11)July 11, 1920
Vladivostok, Far Eastern Republic
DiedOctober 10, 1985(1985-10-10) (aged 65)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeAbbaye royale Saint-Michel de Bois-Aubry (near Luzé, France)
Citizenship
  • Soviet Union
  • United States (renounced)
  • Switzerland
OccupationActor
Years active1941–1985
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)
Children5

Yuliy Borisovich Briner (Russian: Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner (Russian: Юл Бриннер), 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, 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).

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

Early life

In Russia

The Briner family mansion in Vladivostok, Russia, where Yul Brynner was born and lived from 1920 to 1927

Yul Brynner was born Yuliy Borisovich Briner on July 11, 1920, in the city of Vladivostok. He had Swiss-German, Russian, and Buryat (Mongol) ancestry. He also identified as having Roma ancestry; however, recent scholarship does not support that claim. He was born at his parents' home, a four-storey house on 15 Aleutskaya Street, Vladivostok, into a wealthy Swiss Russian family of landowners and silver mining developers in Siberia and the Far East. He was named after his grandfather merchant Yuliy Ivanovich Brinner.

At the time the territory was controlled by the Far Eastern Republic - a communist Russian buffer state. Vladivostok was under Japanese occupation until 1922. The Briner family enjoyed a good life at their four-storey mansion.

In October 1922, the Red Army occupied Vladivostok, and most of the Briner family's wealth was confiscated and nationalized at the end of the Russian Civil War. The Briners were stripped of home ownership, but the family, including Yul's elder sister Vera, continued living in their house under a temporary status.

Later in his life, Brynner humorously enjoyed telling tall tales and exaggerating his background and early life for the press, claiming that he was born Taidje Khan of a Mongol father and Roma mother on the Russian island of Sakhalin. He occasionally referred to himself as Julius Briner, Jules Bryner, or Youl Bryner. The 1989 biography by his son, Rock Brynner, clarified some of these issues.

Brynner's father, Boris Yuliyevich Briner, was a mining engineer and inventor of Swiss-German and Russian descent. He had graduated from Mining University in Saint Petersburg in 1910. The actor's grandfather, Jules Briner (Бринер, Юлий Иванович), was a Swiss citizen who had moved to Vladivostok in the 1870s and established a successful import/export company. Brynner's paternal grandmother, Natalya Yosifovna Kurkutova, was a native of Irkutsk and a Eurasian of partial Buryat ancestry.

Brynner's mother, Maria (Marousia) Dimitrievna (née Blagovidova, Мария Дмитриевна Благовидова), hailed from the Russian intelligentsia and had studied to be an actress and singer. According to her son, she was of Russian Roma ancestry, but documents examined by modern historians of Vladivostok claimed the Briner family had no blood connections with Roma. Yul came into close contact with this culture in exile while working with his sister, singer Vera Brinner, and they were looking for a stage image. Vera later sharply objected to this appropriation. Brynner felt a strong personal connection to the Roma. In 1977 he was named honorary president of the International Romani Union, a title that he kept until his death.

In 1922, after the formation of the Soviet Union, Yul's father Boris Briner was required to relinquish his Swiss citizenship. All family members were made Soviet citizens. Brynner's father's work required extensive travel, and in 1923, in Moscow he fell in love with an actress, Katerina Ivanovna Kornakova. She was the ex-wife of actor Aleksei Dikiy, and stage partner of Michael Chekhov at the Moscow Art Theatre. Many years later, Katerina Kornakova would help Brynner with her letter of recommendation asking Michael Chekhov to employ him in his theatre company in the United States.

In 1924, Yul's father divorced his mother Marousia, but continued to support her and their children. His father also adopted a girl, because his new wife was childless. Many years later, after the death of his father, Brynner would take this adopted sister into his care. The father and son relationship remained complex and emotionally traumatic for Brynner.

After leaving his children and his former wife in Vladivostok, Boris Briner lived briefly in Moscow with Katerina Ivanovna Kornakova, but eventually they moved to Harbin, Manchuria. At that time it remained under Japanese control. Briner established a business in international trade.

In China

In 1927, Marousia Briner took her children, Yuliy and Vera (January 17, 1916 – December 13, 1967), and emigrated from Vladivostok to Harbin, China. There, young Yul and Vera attended a school run by the YMCA.

In 1930, Boris gave Yuliy an acoustic guitar as a birthday present. That guitar and the following music lessons made a lasting influence on Brynner's artistic development. His natural curiosity, creativity, and imagination became focused on mastering the guitar technique and studying classical and contemporary music. Brynner studied music under the guidance of his sister Vera, who was a classically trained opera singer. After several years of arduous studies, Brynner became an accomplished guitar player and singer.

In France and Switzerland

In 1933, fearing a war between China and Japan, Marousia Briner moved with her children to Paris. Many Russians had moved there in exile after the Revolution. There, on June 15, 1935, the fourteen-year-old Brynner made his debut at the "Hermitage" cabaret, where he played his guitar and sang in the Russian and Roma languages. After initial success, he continued performing at various Parisian nightclubs, sometimes accompanying his sister, and playing and singing Russian and Roma songs. At that time, Brynner was a student at a lyceum in Paris, where he studied French. His classmates and teachers were aware of his strong character, as he was often involved in fist fighting.

In the summer of 1936, Brynner worked as a lifeguard at a resort beach in Le Havre. There he joined a French circus troupe, trained as a trapeze acrobat and worked with a circus troupe for several years. After sustaining a back injury, he left the circus troupe. In nearly unbearable pain, Brynner took narcotics for relief. He soon developed a drug dependency.

One day, while buying opium from a local dealer, Brynner met Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) and the two became lifelong friends. Cocteau introduced Brynner to Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Josephine Baker, Jean Marais, and the bohemian milieu of Paris. The experience and connections eventually helped him in his multifaceted career of acting, directing, and producing.

Seventeen-year-old Brynner became a drug addict and the family tried to help him treat the illness. He spent a year in Lausanne, Switzerland treating his addiction at a Swiss clinic and at Lausanne University Hospital with financial support from his aunt Vera Dmitrievna Blagovidova-Briner, his mother's sister. Dmitrievna was a physician trained at medical school in Saint Petersburg, Russia, before the revolution. She later practiced in China and Switzerland. The year-long treatment in Switzerland, which included hypnotherapy, had a lasting effect on Brynner's health. Yul never used illicit drugs again in his life. He later became addicted to cigarettes, which damaged his lungs and ruined his health as he aged.

In Harbin, Brynner's father had a lucrative trade business and lived with his second wife, actress Katerina Ivanovna Kornakova. She gave Brynner his first professional acting lessons by showing him scenes from her repertoire at Moscow Art Theatre. She instructed him in how to respond to her lines using his voice tone and body language. During their first lessons, Katerina Kornakova demonstrated and explained to Brynner the principles of Konstantin Stanislavsky's school of acting, and the innovative ideas of Michael Chekhov. Brynner was excited and impressed with the new experience. His father initially tried to prepare his son for a management position at their family business, but changed his mind after watching several acting lessons and witnessing Brynner's happiness.

Katerina Kornakova was impressed with Brynner's intellectual and physical abilities and recommended him to study acting with her former partner Michael Chekhov. Brynner took the letter of recommendation from his stepmother and also accepted money and blessings from his father. With the generous support from both his father and stepmother, Brynner became encouraged and confident in his future success as an actor.

At the same time, Brynner's mother's illness progressed and required special medical treatment that was available only in the United States. Brynner traveled with his mother on a long trip across the world.

In the USA

Brynner's 1943 photo after immigrating to the United States

In 1940, speaking little English, Brynner and his mother emigrated to the United States aboard the President Cleveland, departing from Kobe, Japan. They arrived in San Francisco on October 25, 1940. His final destination was New York City, where his sister already lived. Vera, a singer, starred in The Consul on Broadway in 1950. She also appeared on television in the title role of the opera Carmen. She later taught voice in New York.

During World War II Brynner worked as a French-speaking radio announcer and commentator for the US Office of War Information, broadcasting to occupied France. He also worked for the Voice of America, broadcasting in Russian to the Soviet Union. At the same time, during the war years, he studied acting in Connecticut with the Russian actor Michael Chekhov. He worked as a truck driver and stage hand for Chekhov's theatre company.

By the time he turned 21, Brynner had already made several international journeys around the world, traveling between Asia, Europe, and America. Such extensive traveling contributed to his exposure to a variety of cultures and may have enriched his creativity.

Career

1940s

In 1941, Brynner made his stage debut in a Broadway production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night that premiered on December 2, 1941. In it, Brynner appeared as Fabian. He had to deliver only a few lines, as his English was limited and he had a noticeable Russian accent. The job helped him to start adding English to the list of languages he spoke, which included Russian, French, Japanese, and Hungarian. The show closed, as did many other Broadway productions, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when America declared war on Japan and Nazi Germany.

Soon Brynner found a job as a radio commentator presenting war propaganda in French and Russian at the Voice of America radio station. He had little acting work during the next few years. But he co-starred in a 1946 production of Lute Song with Mary Martin. He also did some modeling work and was photographed nude by George Platt Lynes.

Yul Brynner as drug dealer Paul Vicola, a supporting role in Port of New York (1949)

In 1944 Brynner married actress Virginia Gilmore. Soon after he began working as a director at the new CBS television studios. In 1948 and 1949, he directed and also appeared on television alongside his wife in the first two seasons of Studio One. He also appeared in other shows.

Brynner made his film debut in Port of New York, released in November 1949.

1950s

The King and I

The next year, at the urging of Martin, Brynner auditioned for Rodgers and Hammerstein's new musical in New York. He recalled that, as he was finding success as a director on television, he was reluctant to go back on the stage. Once he read the script, however, he was fascinated by the character of the King and was eager to perform in the project.

woman kneeling in front of a standing man; the two are conversing and each is gesturing with one hand as if ringing a small bell
Brynner with Gertrude Lawrence in the original production of The King and I (1951)

Brynner's role as King Mongkut in The King and I (4,625 times on stage) became his best known. He appeared in the original 1951 production and later touring productions, as well as a 1977 Broadway revival, a London production in 1979, and another Broadway revival in 1985. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for the first of these Broadway productions and a special Tony for the last.

He reprised the role in the 1956 film version, for which he won an Academy Award as Best Actor. He also played it in Anna and the King, a short-lived TV series on CBS in 1972. Brynner is one of only ten people who have won both a Tony and an Academy Award for the same role.

In 1951 Brynner shaved his head for his role in The King and I. Following the huge success of the Broadway production and subsequent film, Brynner continued to shave his head for the rest of his life. He wore a wig when necessary for certain roles. Brynner's shaven head was unusual at the time, and his striking appearance helped to give him an exotic appeal. Some fans shaved off their hair to imitate him. A shaven head was often referred to as the "Yul Brynner look".

Brynner's second motion picture was the film version of The King and I (1956) with Deborah Kerr. It was a huge success critically and commercially.

Brynner as Ramesses II in The Ten Commandments (1956)

Cecil B. de Mille hired Brynner for The Ten Commandments (1956) to play Ramesses II opposite Charlton Heston after seeing him in the stage version of The King and I, telling Brynner backstage that he was the only person for the role. He rounded out his year with Anastasia (1956), co-starring with Ingrid Bergman under the direction of Anatole Litvak. Both films were big hits and Brynner became one of the most in-demand stars in Hollywood.

MGM cast Brynner as one of The Brothers Karamazov (1958), which was another commercial success. Less so was The Buccaneer (1958), in which Brynner played Jean Lafitte; he co-starred with Heston, Inger Stevens, Claire Bloom and Charles Boyer in a historically accurate tale of the Battle of New Orleans. The film was produced by De Mille and directed by Anthony Quinn.

MGM used Brynner again in The Journey (1959), opposite Kerr under the direction of Litvak, but the film lost money. So too did The Sound and the Fury (1959) based on the novel by William Faulkner with Joanne Woodward.

However, Brynner then received an offer to replace Tyrone Power, who had died during the making of Solomon and Sheba (1959) with Gina Lollobrigida. The movie was a huge hit, which postponed the development of a planned Brynner film about Spartacus. When the Kirk Douglas film Spartacus (1960) came out, Brynner elected not to make his own version.

1960s

Brynner tried comedy with two films directed by Stanley Donen: Once More, with Feeling! (1960) and Surprise Package (1960), but public response was underwhelming. He made a cameo in Testament of Orpheus.

Brynner with Rosenda Monteros in The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Although the public received him well in The Magnificent Seven (1960), a Western adaptation of Seven Samurai for The Mirisch Company, the picture proved a disappointment on its initial release in the U.S. However, it was hugely popular in Europe and has had enduring popularity. Its ultimate success led to Brynner's signing a three-picture deal with the Mirisches. The film was especially popular in the Soviet Union, where it sold 67 million tickets. He then made a cameo in Goodbye Again (1961).

Brynner focused on action films. He did Escape from Zahrain (1962), with Ronald Neame as director, and Taras Bulba (1962), with Tony Curtis for J. Lee Thompson. Both films were commercial disappointments; Taras Bulba was popular but failed to recoup its large cost.

The first film under Brynner's three-picture deal with Mirisch was Flight from Ashiya (1963) with George Chakiris. It was followed by Kings of the Sun (1963), also with Chakiris, directed by Thompson. Neither film was particularly popular; nor was Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964), a western. Morituri (1965), opposite Marlon Brando, failed to reverse the series of unsuccessful movies. He had cameos in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) and The Poppy Is Also a Flower (1966).

Brynner enjoyed a hit with Return of the Seven (1966), reprising his role from the original. Less popular were Triple Cross (1966), a war movie with Christopher Plummer; The Double Man (1967), a spy thriller; The Long Duel (1967), an Imperial adventure tale opposite Trevor Howard; Villa Rides (1968), a Western; and The File of the Golden Goose (1969).

Brynner at the premiere of Battle of Neretva in Sarajevo on November 29, 1969

Brynner went to Yugoslavia to star in a war film, Battle of Neretva (1969). He supported Katharine Hepburn in the big-budget flop The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969). Brynner appeared in drag (as a torch singer) in an unbilled role in the Peter Sellers comedy The Magic Christian (1969).

Later career

Brynner went to Italy to make a Spaghetti Western, Adiós, Sabata (1970) and supported Kirk Douglas in The Light at the Edge of the World (1971). He remained in lead roles for Romance of a Horsethief (1971) and a Western, Catlow (1971).

Brynner had a small role in Fuzz (1972) then reprised his most famous part in the TV series Anna and the King (1972) which ran for 13 episodes.

After Night Flight from Moscow (1973) in Europe, Brynner created one of his iconic roles in the cult hit film Westworld (1973) as the 'Gunslinger', a killer robot. His next two films were variations on this performance: The Ultimate Warrior (1975) and Futureworld (1976).

Brynner returned to Broadway in Home Sweet Homer, a notorious flop musical. His final movie was Death Rage (1976), an Italian action film.

Personal life

Although Brynner had become a naturalized U.S. citizen, aged 22, in 1943, while living in New York as an actor and radio announcer, he renounced his US citizenship at the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, in June 1965 because he had lost his tax exemption as an American resident working abroad. He had stayed too long in the United States meaning he would be bankrupted by his tax and penalty debts imposed by the Internal Revenue Service.

In 2006, Brynner's son Rock wrote a book about his father and his family history titled Empire and Odyssey: The Brynners in Far East Russia and Beyond. He regularly returned to Vladivostok, the city of his father's birth, for the Pacific Meridian Film Festival.

Health

In 1979, Brynner settled out of court after allegedly contracting trichinosis at Trader Vic's in New York City.

In September 1983, Brynner suffered a sore throat, his voice changed and doctors found a lump on his vocal cords. In Los Angeles, only hours before his 4,000th performance in The King and I, he received the test results, which indicated that he had inoperable lung cancer, though his throat was not affected. Brynner had begun smoking heavily at age 12. Although he had quit in 1971, his promotional photos often still showed him with a cigarette in hand, or a cigar in his mouth. He and the national tour of the musical were forced to take a few months off while he underwent radiation therapy, which damaged his throat and made singing and speaking difficult. The tour then resumed.

In January 1985, the tour reached New York for a farewell Broadway run. Aware he was dying, Brynner gave an interview on Good Morning America discussing the dangers of smoking and expressing his desire to make an anti-smoking commercial. The Broadway production of The King and I ran from January 7 to June 30 of that year. His last performance, a few months before his death, marked the 4,625th time he had played the role of the King.

Other interests

In addition to his work as a director and performer, Brynner was an active photographer and wrote two books. His daughter Victoria put together Yul Brynner: Photographer, a collection of his photographs of family, friends, and fellow actors, as well as those he took while serving as a UN special consultant on refugees.

Brynner wrote Bring Forth the Children: A Journey to the Forgotten People of Europe and the Middle East (1960), with photographs by himself and Magnum photographer Inge Morath, and The Yul Brynner Cookbook: Food Fit for the King and You (1983).

He enjoyed singing gypsy songs. In 1967, Dimitrievitch and he released a record album The Gypsy and I: Yul Brynner Sings Gypsy Songs (Vanguard VSD 79265).

Relationships and marriages

Brynner and Virginia Gilmore in 1944

Brynner married four times, his first three marriages ending in divorce. He fathered three children and adopted two. His first wife (1944–1960) was actress Virginia Gilmore with whom he had one child, Yul "Rock" Brynner (1946–2023). He was nicknamed "Rock" when he was six years old in honor of boxer Rocky Graziano. Rock was a historian, novelist, and university history lecturer at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut.

Yul Brynner had a long affair with Marlene Dietrich, who was 19 years his senior, beginning during the first production of The King and I.

Brynner in 1959

In 1959, Brynner fathered a daughter, Lark Brynner, with Frankie Tilden, who was 20 years old. Lark lived with her mother and Brynner supported her financially. His second wife, from 1960 to 1967, Doris Kleiner is a Chilean model whom he married on the set during shooting of The Magnificent Seven in 1960. They had one child, Victoria Brynner (born November 1962), whose godmother was Audrey Hepburn. Belgian novelist and artist Monique Watteau was also romantically linked with Brynner, from 1961 to 1967.

His third wife (1971–1981), Jacqueline Simone Thion de la Chaume (1932–2013), a French socialite, was the widow of Philippe de Croisset (son of French playwright Francis de Croisset and a publishing executive). Brynner and Jacqueline adopted two Vietnamese children: Mia (1974) and Melody (1975). The first house Brynner owned was the Manoir de Criquebœuf, a 16th-century manor house in northwestern France that Jacqueline and he purchased. His third marriage broke up, reportedly owing to his 1980 announcement that he would continue in the role of the King for another long tour and Broadway run, as well as his affairs with female fans and his neglect of his wife and children.

On April 4, 1983, aged 62, Brynner married his fourth and final wife, Kathy Lee (born 1957), a 26-year-old ballerina from Ipoh, Malaysia, whom he had met in a production of The King and I. They remained married for the last two years of his life. His longtime close friends Meredith A. Disney and her sons Charles Elias Disney and Daniel H. Disney attended Brynner and Lee's final performances of The King and I.

Death

Brynner died of lung cancer on October 10, 1985, at New York Hospital at the age of 65. His remains were cremated and the ashes were buried in the grounds of the Saint-Michel-de-Bois-Aubry Orthodox monastery, near Luzé, between Tours and Poitiers in France.

Anti-smoking campaign

Prior to his death, with the help of the American Cancer Society, Brynner created a public service announcement using a clip from the Good Morning America interview. A few days after his death, it premiered on all major US television networks and in other countries. Brynner used the announcement to express his desire to make an anti-smoking commercial after discovering he had cancer, and his death was imminent. He then looked directly into the camera for 30 seconds and said, "Now that I'm gone, I tell you: Don't smoke. Whatever you do, just don't smoke. If I could take back that smoking, we wouldn't be talking about any cancer. I'm convinced of that." His year of birth, in one version of the commercial, was incorrectly given as 1915.

Legacy

In Russia

Statue of Brynner in front of his birthplace in Vladivostok

On September 28, 2012, a 2.4-m-tall statue was inaugurated at Yul Brynner Park, in front of the home where Brynner was born at Aleutskaya St. No. 15 in Vladivostok, Russia. Created by local sculptor Alexei Bokiy, the monument was carved in granite monolith that was acquired in China and delivered to Vladivostok, Russia. It depicts him in the role of King Mongkut of Siam from The King and I. The grounds for the park were donated by the city of Vladivostok, which also paid additional costs. Vladivostok Mayor Igor Pushkariov, US Consul General Sylvia Curran, and Brynner's son, Rock, participated in the ceremony, along with hundreds of local residents.

The Briner family cottage in suburban Vladivostok is now a Yul Brynner museum.

In the U.S.

In 1956, Brynner imprinted his hands and feet into the concrete pavement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. In 1960, Brynner was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6162 Hollywood Boulevard.

In 2022, a podcast was launched celebrating his filmography, entitled "Here's Looking at Yul, Kid," and has included guests such as Ron Howard.

In France

Brynner spent many years living, studying, and working in France, and his last will stated his wish to be buried there. His resting place at Abbaye royale Saint-Michel de Bois-Aubry has a memorial mention dedicated to him.

Filmography

With Ingrid Bergman in Anastasia (1956)in The Brothers Karamazov (1958)With Gina Lollobrigida in Solomon and Sheba (1959)In Kings of the Sun (1963)In The Light at the Edge of the World (1971)In Anna and the King (1972)
Year Title Role Notes
1949 Port of New York Paul Vicola
1956 The King and I King Mongkut of Siam Academy Award for Best Actor
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (also for Anastasia and The Ten Commandments)
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
The Ten Commandments Ramesses National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (also for The King and I and Anastasia)
Anastasia General Sergei Pavlovich Bounine National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (also for The King and I and The Ten Commandments)
1958 The Brothers Karamazov Dmitri Karamazov
The Buccaneer Jean Lafitte
1959 The Journey Russian Major Surov
The Sound and the Fury Jason Compson
Solomon and Sheba Solomon
1960 Once More, with Feeling! Victor Fabian
Testament of Orpheus L'huissier / Court usher Uncredited
Surprise Package Nico March
The Magnificent Seven Chris Larabee Adams Nominated—Laurel Award for Top Action Performance
1961 Goodbye Again Extra in nightclub scene Uncredited
1962 Escape from Zahrain Sharif
Taras Bulba Taras Bulba
1963 Kings of the Sun Chief Black Eagle
1964 Flight from Ashiya Sgt. Mike Takashima
Invitation to a Gunfighter Jules Gaspard d'Estaing
1965 Morituri Captain Mueller
1966 Cast a Giant Shadow Asher Gonen
The Poppy Is Also a Flower Colonel Salem (also titled Danger Grows Wild)
Return of the Seven Chris Adams
Triple Cross Baron Von Grunen
1967 The Double Man Dan Slater / Kalmer
The Long Duel Sultan
1968 Villa Rides Pancho Villa
1969 The File of the Golden Goose Peter Novak
Battle of Neretva Vlado (Vladimir Smirnov)
The Madwoman of Chaillot The chairman
The Magic Christian Transvestite Cabaret Singer Uncredited
1970 Adiós, Sabata Sabata / Indio Black
1971 The Light at the Edge of the World Jonathan Kongre
Romance of a Horsethief Captain Stoloff
Catlow Catlow
1972 Fuzz The Deaf Man
1972 Anna and the King King Mongkut of Siam TV series, 13 episodes
1973 Night Flight from Moscow Col. Alexei Vlassov
Westworld The Gunslinger
1975 The Ultimate Warrior Carson
1976 Futureworld The Gunslinger
Death Rage Peter Marciani

Short subjects:

  • On Location with Westworld (1973)
  • Lost to the Revolution (1980) (narrator)

Box office ranking

Yul Brynner star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6162 Hollywood Boulevard

At the height of his career, Brynner was voted by exhibitors as among the most popular stars at the box office:

  • 1956 – 21st (US)
  • 1957 – 10th (US), 10th (UK)
  • 1958 – 8th (US)
  • 1959 – 24th (US)
  • 1960 – 23rd (US)

Select stage work

  • Twelfth Night (1941) (Broadway)
  • Lute Song (1946) (Broadway and US national tour)
  • The King and I (1951) (Broadway and US national tour)
  • Home Sweet Homer (1976) (Broadway)
  • The King and I (1977) (Broadway, London and US national tour)
  • The King and I (1985) (Broadway)

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Results Ref.
1956 Academy Awards Best Actor The King and I Won
1977 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actor in a Musical The King and I Nominated
1956 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy The King and I Nominated
1956 National Board of Review Awards Best Actor Anastasia / The King and I /
The Ten Commandments
Won
1956 New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actor Nominated
1952 Tony Awards Distinguished Supporting or Featured Musical Actor The King and I Won
1985 Special Tony Award Won

References

  1. Obituary Variety, October 16, 1985.
  2. ^ "Yul Brynner Filmography" tcm.com, retrieved May 30, 2019
  3. "Yul Brynner: A Photographic Journey". yulbrynnerphotographer.com. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  4. "Yul Brynner's books". Goodreads. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  5. ^ Record of Yul Brynner, #108-18-2984. Social Security Administration. Born in 1920 according to the Social Security Death Index (although some sources indicate the year was 1915) Archived November 27, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2006.
    In his biography of his father, Rock Yul Brynner, he asserts that he was born in the later year (1920).
  6. ^ United States Declaration of Intent (Document No. 541593), Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685–2004, filed June 4, 1943
  7. "Famous Gypsies". www.imninalu.net. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
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  9. ^ Hancock, Ian (1971). "The acquisition of English by American Romani children". WORD. 27 (1–3). Taylor & Francis: 353–362. doi:10.1080/00437956.1971.11435631. There are many such individuals (ie, who have Romani ancestry but who are ignorant, at least at first hand, of their language and culture)-Yul Brynner and Ava Gardner are two well-known examples.
  10. Klímová-Alexander, Ilona (2007). "The Development and Institutionalization of Romani Representation and Administration. Part 3b: From National Organizations to International Umbrellas (1945–1970)—the International Level". Nationalities Papers. 35 (4). Cambridge University Press: 627–661. doi:10.1080/00905990701475079. S2CID 154810008. Yul Brynner (the half-Romani Hollywood star)
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  13. ^ Yul Brynner and the Bryners family history
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  16. ^ Russian biography of Boris Brinner, the father of Yul Brynner
  17. ^ Brynner, Rock. Yul: The Man Who Would Be King Berkeley Books: 1991; ISBN 0-425-12547-5
  18. ^ Rochman, Sue. "A King's Legacy" Archived November 2, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Cancer Today magazine, Winter 2011 (December 5, 2011). Retrieved January 20, 2013.
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  21. Pankok, Moritz (April 12, 2015). "The Roma Theatre Pralipe". romarchive.eu. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
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  36. "'Lost' actor stars in West End's 'King'". UPI.com.
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  38. Crouse, Richard (2005). Reel Winners: Movie Award Trivia. Dundurn. p. 171.
  39. Doyle, Hubert (2008). Ventures with the World of Celebrities, Movies & TV. Joshua Tree. ISBN 9780976867760.
  40. Douty, Linda (2011). How Did I Get to Be 70 When I'm 35 Inside?: Spiritual Surprises of Later Life. SkyLight Paths. ISBN 9781594732973.
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  58. Brynner, Yul; Reed, Susan (1983). The Yul Brynner cookbook: food fit for the king and you. New York: Stein and Day. ISBN 978-0-8128-2882-5.
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  65. ""A King's Legacy", Cancer Today magazine, Winter 2011". Archived from the original on November 2, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  66. Anti-smoking PSA on YouTube
  67. "Abbaye Royal Saint-Michel De Bois-Aubry: in Luze, The Loire Valley, a journey through France". Val de Loire, une balade en France.
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  72. "Nominees and Recipients – 1977 Awards". Drama Desk Awards. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  73. "Yul Brynner". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  74. "1956 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  75. "Awards – New York Film Critics Circle". New York Film Critics Circle. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  76. "1952 Tony Awards". Tony Awards. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  77. "1985 Tony Awards". Tony Awards. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  78. "Hollywood Walk of Fame – Yul Brynner". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved December 28, 2017.

Further reading

  • Capua, Michelangelo (2006). Yul Brynner: A Biography. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-2461-3.

External links

Awards for Yul Brynner
Academy Award for Best Actor
1928–1950
1951–1975
1976–2000
2001–present
refused award that year
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor
1945–1975
1976–2000
2001–present
Special Tony Award
1947–1975
1976–2000
2001–present
Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical
1947–1975
1976–2000
2001–present
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