Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22,
1895â€" August 25, 1967) was an Austro-Hungarian-born American stage
and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy
Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in the
Yiddish theater. During the 1930s, he was considered one of the most
prestigious actors at the Warner Bros. studio, and was given the rare
privilege of choosing which parts he wanted.His acting quality,
usually playing a powerful character, such as the lead in Scarface
(1932), was partly a result of his intense preparation for his parts,
often immersing himself in study of the real character's traits and
mannerisms. He was also highly skilled in using makeup techniques, a
talent he learned from his parents, who were also actors, and from his
early years on stage with the Yiddish theater in Chicago. At the age
of 12, he played the stage role of an 80-year-old man; in one of his
films, Seven Faces, he played seven different characters.He made 22
films and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the
1936 film The Story of Louis Pasteur. He also starred in numerous
Broadway plays and won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his
role in the 1955 production of Inherit the Wind.
1895â€" August 25, 1967) was an Austro-Hungarian-born American stage
and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy
Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in the
Yiddish theater. During the 1930s, he was considered one of the most
prestigious actors at the Warner Bros. studio, and was given the rare
privilege of choosing which parts he wanted.His acting quality,
usually playing a powerful character, such as the lead in Scarface
(1932), was partly a result of his intense preparation for his parts,
often immersing himself in study of the real character's traits and
mannerisms. He was also highly skilled in using makeup techniques, a
talent he learned from his parents, who were also actors, and from his
early years on stage with the Yiddish theater in Chicago. At the age
of 12, he played the stage role of an 80-year-old man; in one of his
films, Seven Faces, he played seven different characters.He made 22
films and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the
1936 film The Story of Louis Pasteur. He also starred in numerous
Broadway plays and won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his
role in the 1955 production of Inherit the Wind.
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