Brynner, Yul (1915-1985)

Russian-born US actor. He had a distinctive stage presence and made a shaven head his trademark. He played the king in The King and I both on stage (1951) and on film (1956), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor. He was also the leader of the gang in The Magnificent Seven (1960).

Although his origins were deliberately shrouded in mystery, he is believed to have been born in Sakhalin, an island off the east coast of Siberia. He later acknowledged a Romany background. In the USA from 1940, he made his film debut in a B picture, Port of New York (1949). His other films include Taras Bulba (1962) and Westworld (1973).