File:Lon_Chaney,_Sr._The_Miracle_Man.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Lon Chaney
Sign in to saveAlso known as Leonidas Frank Chaney, Lon Chaney, Sr., The Man of a Thousand Faces, Leonidas Chaney
American actor (1883–1930)
OverviewAI-generated
Lon Chaney, Sr. was an American actor, film director, stage actor, and screenwriter. Born in Colorado Springs on April 1, 1883, he began his work period in 1902 and continued until his death. He was recognized in the Hollywood Walk of Fame collection. Chaney spoke English and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
He died in Los Angeles on August 26, 1930, from laryngeal cancer due to natural causes. His son was Lon Chaney Jr., and he was a relative of Ancel Keys. The actor used the pseudonym Alonzo Chaney.
Synthesized by Vinony from 32 facts across 6 sources: Wikidata, Crossref, Last.fm, TMDb, Vinony collections, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Film & TV
Acting · Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor and makeup artist. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted, characters and for his groundbreaking artistry with makeup. Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The…
Known for
- They Came from the Attic — The Phantom of the Opera (Archival Footage)2022
- Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film — The Phantom / Quasimodo (archive footage)2014
- A Messenger from the Shadows (Notes on Film 06 A/Monologue 01)2013
- Fragments: Surviving Pieces of Lost Films — Himself (archive footage)2011
- Nadie inquietó más — Various Roles (archive footage)2008
- Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman — Self (archive footage)2007
- Bela Lugosi: The Fallen Vampire — Himself (archive footage)2007
- London After Midnight — Professor Edward C. Burke (archive footage)2002
- The Many Faces of Dracula — Self (archive footage)2000
- Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces — Self (archive footage)2000
via TMDB
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 399
- Total plays
- 1,063
<a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Lon+Chaney">Read more on Last.fm</a>
Recent publications · Crossref
5 total works indexed
- A global reference for human genetic variation
· 2015 · cited 17,776x
- Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission
· 2020 · cited 9,217x
- Genome-wide association study of 14,000 cases of seven common diseases and 3,000 shared controls
· 2007 · cited 7,929x
- Finding the missing heritability of complex diseases
· 2009 · cited 6,987x
- Cooling, Heating, Generating Power, and Recovering Waste Heat with Thermoelectric Systems
· 2008 · cited 5,737x
via Crossref · CC0
Key facts
- Born
- Leonidas Frank Chaney , ( 1883-04-01 ) April 1, 1883, Colorado Springs, Colorado , U.S.
- Died
- August 26, 1930 (1930-08-26) (aged 47), Los Angeles, California
- Resting place
- Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
- Other name
- The Man of a Thousand Faces
- Occupations
- Actor director screenwriter makeup artist
- Years active
- 1902–1930
- Spouses
- Frances Cleveland ("Cleva") Creighton ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1905 ; divorced</span>"}]]}'>div. 1913 ) Hazel Bennett Hastings ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1915 )
- Children
- Lon Chaney Jr. (born Creighton Tull Chaney)
- Website
- lonchaney .com
via Wikipedia infobox
~18 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Chaney with his personal makeup kit in 1925 Chaney as Erik, the Phantom of the Opera Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor and makeup artist. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted, characters and for his groundbreaking artistry with makeup. Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques that he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces".
As of 2026, all of Chaney's movies are in the public domain and free to watch.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Lon Chaney” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.