Lon Chaney

Lon Chaney, according to his great grandson... "between 1913 and 1930 he played more than 150 widely diverse roles, frequently villainous and sometimes bizarre and macabre". He is probably most known as "Erik" the ghost from "Phantom of the Opera" (1925). Chaney was born in 1883 and died in 1930 from throat hemorrhage. Now in a real quick nutshell, As someone who met end meets, he had an interesting life. He as born to deaf parents, which influence him to mimic as he communicate in sign language with his parents. He married his sweetheart, Cleva, when she was 16 (and pregnant outside marriage). They perform on the streets as their son, Creighton, would collect the coins. His relationship with his wife, Cleva, leading her to attempt a suicide. As it became a scandal, it hurt his career and led to a divorce. His son had to be temporarily placed in a home for children of Divorce and Disaster. He soon remarriedand his son came to live with him and his step mother. Eventually, he entered the silent movies businesses where he became widely because known for his diverse roles. His biography is quite rich. So, since this is a nutshell version, I recommend, if you are interested in "expanding the nutshell", to read his great grandson narration. You can see his movie clips in YouTube.

http://www.lonchaney.com/