Warner Oland (born Johan Verner Ölund, October 3, 1879 â€" August 6,
1938) was a Swedish-American actor most remembered for playing several
Chinese and Chinese-American characters: Dr. Fu Manchu; Henry Chang in
Shanghai Express and most notably Honolulu Police detective Lieutenant
Charlie Chan. His career that included time on Broadway and numerous
film appearances, including 16 Charlie Chan films. He was born in the
village of Nyby, Bjurholm Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden.
He claimed that his vaguely Asian appearance was due to possessing
some Mongolian ancestry,:1 though his known ancestry contains no
indication that this was so.When he was 13, his family emigrated to
the United States in November 1892 on board the S/S Thingvalla, which
sailed from Christiania, Norway, to New York. After an initial stay in
New York City, the family settled in New Britain, Connecticut.
Educated in Boston, Oland spoke English and his native Swedish, and
eventually translated some of the plays of August Strindberg.As a
young man he pursued a career in theater, at first working on set
design while developing his skills as a dramatic actor. In 1906, he
was signed to tour the country with the troupe led by Russian-American
actress Alla Nazimova (1879 â€" 1945). The following year he met and
married the playwright and portrait painter Edith Gardener Shearn
(1872-1968). Shearn made an ideal partner for Oland. She mastered
Swedish, helping him with the translation of Strindberg's works that
they jointly published in book form in 1912.
1938) was a Swedish-American actor most remembered for playing several
Chinese and Chinese-American characters: Dr. Fu Manchu; Henry Chang in
Shanghai Express and most notably Honolulu Police detective Lieutenant
Charlie Chan. His career that included time on Broadway and numerous
film appearances, including 16 Charlie Chan films. He was born in the
village of Nyby, Bjurholm Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden.
He claimed that his vaguely Asian appearance was due to possessing
some Mongolian ancestry,:1 though his known ancestry contains no
indication that this was so.When he was 13, his family emigrated to
the United States in November 1892 on board the S/S Thingvalla, which
sailed from Christiania, Norway, to New York. After an initial stay in
New York City, the family settled in New Britain, Connecticut.
Educated in Boston, Oland spoke English and his native Swedish, and
eventually translated some of the plays of August Strindberg.As a
young man he pursued a career in theater, at first working on set
design while developing his skills as a dramatic actor. In 1906, he
was signed to tour the country with the troupe led by Russian-American
actress Alla Nazimova (1879 â€" 1945). The following year he met and
married the playwright and portrait painter Edith Gardener Shearn
(1872-1968). Shearn made an ideal partner for Oland. She mastered
Swedish, helping him with the translation of Strindberg's works that
they jointly published in book form in 1912.
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