Yul Brynner- Wiki, Biography, Ethnicity, Wife, Marriage, Height

Yul Brynner was a well-known actor who appeared in films like “The King and I,” “The Ten Commandments,” and “The Magnificent Seven.” After more than three years and 1,246 performances, Yul Brynner won an Academy Award for best actor in the 1956 film adaptation of the play. Following that, he returned to the stage for 3,379 more theatrical appearances.

Quick Facts

Yul Brynner Biography

Yuliy Borisovich Briner, better known as Yul Brynner, was born in Vladivostok, Far Eastern Republic, on July 11, 1920. (present-day Primorsky Krai, Russia). Furthermore, he was a Russian citizen with the Cancer zodiac sign. He was of mixed ethnicity, with Swiss Russian, Russian Americans, and Mongolian Russian ancestors. He was also the son of Boris Yuliyevich Briner (father) and Marussia Dimitrievna (mother) (mother). In terms of siblings, he has a younger sister named Vera Brynner. Due to his father’s extramarital affair, he was forced to leave his children with his mother, who relocated them to Harbin, China.

Yul Brynner Height, Weight

Yul Brynner stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed approximately 74 kg. He also had blue eyes and blond hair. Aside from that, there is no additional information about his other body measurements.

Yul Brynner Education

He completed his formal education at a YMCA-run school in the area. Fearing a conflict between Japan and China, his mother relocated her family to Paris, France, in 1932. Yul became interested in music while studying in France and began playing guitar in Russian nightclubs. He trained as a trapeze acrobat and worked in a French circus for three years before suffering a back injury that forced him to leave and pursue a new career. As a result of this, he began acting. He and his mother immigrated to the United States in 1940, settling in New York City.

Yul Brynner Death

He was a heavy smoker who started when he was 12 years old. He did, however, quit smoking in 1971. After 12 years, he was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He received radiation therapy to treat the same. He died of lung cancer on October 10, 1985, in New York City at age 65. His lifeless skeleton was interred in the Russian Orthodox monastery of Saint-Michel-de-Bois-Aubry in the French town of Luzé.

Career

During ‘World War II,’ he began working as a French-speaking radio broadcaster and commentator for the ‘Office of War Information,’ broadcasting propaganda to occupied France. Meanwhile, he received acting instruction from Russian acting teacher Michael Chekhov. Afterward, he went on a nationwide tour with Chekhov’s theater company. He made his stage debut as a minor character in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” Later, he appeared in the television series ‘Mister Jones and His Neighbors and Mary Martin in the 1946 production of ‘Lute Song.’ In addition to acting, he did some modeling.

He tried his hand at directing at the new CBS television studios. He also appeared in ‘Mr and Mrs.,’ the first television talk show in the United States. In 1949, he made his feature film debut in ‘Port of New York.’ He declined acting roles because he already had a successful career as a television director. At Mary Martin’s suggestion, he auditioned for the role of ‘King Mongkut’ in the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical ‘The King and I were in 1947.

He received widespread critical and popular acclaim for his portrayal of “King Mongkut of Siam.” He reprised his role as ‘King Mongkut’ in the film adaptation in 1956, as well as in the CBS television adaptation in 1972. Throughout his career, he played the role 4,625 times on stage. He also appeared in the play’s Broadway revival in 1977, London production in 1979, and Broadway revival in 1985.

More On Career

Following the success of ‘The King & I,’ he has been cast in several other films. With roles in films such as ‘The Ten Commandments and ‘Anastasia,’ he rose to superstardom. His outstanding acting abilities and seductive accent led to roles in several other films, including the Biblical epic ‘Solomon and Sheba,’ in which he played ‘Solomon,’ ‘The Magnificent Seven,’ ‘Taras Bulba,’ and ‘Kings of the Sun.’ He co-starred in ‘Morituri’ with Marlon Brando, ‘The Madwoman of Chaillot with Katherine Hepburn, and the film adaptation of ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ with Lee J Cobb. Near the end of his acting career, he played the eponymous character in the film ‘The Ultimate Warrior,’ followed by ‘Death Rage,’ his final film.

He wasn’t just an actor and director; he also dabbled in photography, writing, and music. Among the books, he wrote during his lifetime were ‘Bring Forth the Children: A Journey to the Forgotten People of Europe and the Middle East’ and ‘The Yul Brynner Cookbook Food Fit for the King and You.’ He was the one who took the photos for the magazines. As a guitarist, he recorded three songs for the film ‘The Brothers Karamazov.’ His first album, ‘The Gypsy and I Yul Brynner Sings Gypsy Songs,’ was released in 1967.

Yul Brynner Awards

Yul Brynner has received some acclaim and awards throughout his career. In 1952, he received a ‘Tony Award’ in the category of ‘Best Featured Actor in a Musical’ for his performance as ‘King Mongkut’ in ‘The King and I.’ For his 4,625 appearances in ‘The King and I,’ he received a special ‘Tony Award.’ In 1956, he received an ‘Academy Award’ for ‘Best Actor for his performance as ‘King Mongkut’ in the film adaptation of ‘The King and I.’ He was named one of the “Top 10 Stars of the Year for the next two years.” He was honored with a star on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ at 6162 Hollywood Blvd.

Yul Brynner’s Net Worth

As a multi-talented individual who has worked in the film industry for a long time, he has amassed a sizable fortune. His net worth was estimated to be around $10 million at his death.

Yul Brynner Wife, Marriage

Yul Brynner married four times during his life. He was married to actress Virginia Gilmore from 1944 to 1960. They had a son together, Rock Yul Brynner. In 1959, he had a daughter with Frankie Tilden. In 1960, he married Doris Kleiner. The union lasted seven years until 1967. Their daughter, Victoria Brynner, was born. He married Jacqueline Thion de la Chaume the following year.

He was married to her from 1971 to 1981. They adopted two children, Mia and Melody. He married Kathy Lee in 1983. They were married for two years until his death in 1985. Until his death, Yul Brynner was not involved in any controversy or rumor.