Yul Brynner Biography

Actor. Born Taidje Khan in Sakhalin Island, Russian S.F.S.R.After a brief career as a circus acrobat in France, Brynner started actingwith a touring company in the early 1940s. He made his Broadway debut inLute Sang in 1946. He began playing his most famous role, the king of Siamin The King and I in the Broadway production of the Oscar and Hammersteinmusical in 1951. After more than three years and 1,246 performances, hestarred in the screen version in 1956, winning an Oscar for Best Actor. Hethen returned to the stage for an additional 3,379 stage performances, thelast being in 1985. Along the way, Brynner also starred in The TenCommandments (1956), Anastasia (1956), The Brothers Karamazov (1958), and TheMagnificent Seven (1960).