William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 â€" 2 February 1969), better
known by his stage name Boris Karloff (/ˈkÉ'Ë rlÉ'f/), was an English
actor who was primarily known for his roles in horror films. He
portrayed Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein (1931), Bride of
Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). He also appeared
as Imhotep in The Mummy (1932).In non-horror roles, he is best known
to modern audiences for narrating and as the voice of the Grinch in
the animated television special of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole
Christmas! (1966). For his contribution to film and television,
Karloff was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Karloff
was born William Henry Pratt on 23 November 1887, at 36 Forest Hill
Road, Dulwich, Surrey (now London), England. His parents were Edward
John Pratt, Jr. and Eliza Sarah Millard. His brother, Sir John Thomas
Pratt, was a British diplomat. Edward John Pratt, Jr. was an
Anglo-Indian, from a British father and Indian mother, while Karloff's
mother also had some Indian ancestry, thus Karloff had a relatively
dark complexion that differed from his peers at the time. His mother's
maternal aunt was Anna Leonowens, whose tales about life in the royal
court of Siam (now Thailand) were the basis of the musical The King
and I. Pratt was bow-legged, had a lisp, and stuttered as a young boy.
He learned how to manage his stutter, but not his lisp, which was
noticeable throughout his career in the film industry.
known by his stage name Boris Karloff (/ˈkÉ'Ë rlÉ'f/), was an English
actor who was primarily known for his roles in horror films. He
portrayed Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein (1931), Bride of
Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). He also appeared
as Imhotep in The Mummy (1932).In non-horror roles, he is best known
to modern audiences for narrating and as the voice of the Grinch in
the animated television special of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole
Christmas! (1966). For his contribution to film and television,
Karloff was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Karloff
was born William Henry Pratt on 23 November 1887, at 36 Forest Hill
Road, Dulwich, Surrey (now London), England. His parents were Edward
John Pratt, Jr. and Eliza Sarah Millard. His brother, Sir John Thomas
Pratt, was a British diplomat. Edward John Pratt, Jr. was an
Anglo-Indian, from a British father and Indian mother, while Karloff's
mother also had some Indian ancestry, thus Karloff had a relatively
dark complexion that differed from his peers at the time. His mother's
maternal aunt was Anna Leonowens, whose tales about life in the royal
court of Siam (now Thailand) were the basis of the musical The King
and I. Pratt was bow-legged, had a lisp, and stuttered as a young boy.
He learned how to manage his stutter, but not his lisp, which was
noticeable throughout his career in the film industry.
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