Editing Yul Brynner (section)

==Career==
===1940s===
In 1941, Brynner made his stage debut in a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' that premiered on December 2, 1941. In it, Brynner appeared as Fabian. He had to deliver only a few lines, as his English was limited and he had a noticeable Russian accent. The job helped him to start adding English to the list of languages he spoke, which included Russian, French, Japanese, and Hungarian.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 1985">{{cite web | title=Yul Brynner Dies at 65; 30 Years in 'King and I' | website=Los Angeles Times | date=October 10, 1985 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-10-mn-15605-story.html | access-date=August 30, 2022}}</ref> The show closed, as did many other Broadway productions, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when America declared war on [[Japan]] and [[Nazi Germany]]. 

Soon Brynner found a job as a radio commentator presenting war propaganda in French and Russian at the [[Voice of America]] radio station. He had little acting work during the next few years.<ref name="Rochman" /> But he co-starred in a 1946 production of ''[[Lute Song (musical)|Lute Song]]'' with [[Mary Martin]]. He also did some modeling work and was photographed nude by [[George Platt Lynes]].<ref>Leddick, David. ''George Platt Lynes'', New York: Taschen, 2000.</ref><ref name="ReferenceB"/>

[[File:Yul Brynner Port of New York 01.jpg|thumb|Yul Brynner as [[drug dealer]] Paul Vicola, a supporting role in ''[[Port of New York (film)|Port of New York]]'' (1949)]]

In 1944 Brynner married actress [[Virginia Gilmore]]. Soon after he began working as a director at the new [[CBS]] television studios. In 1948 and 1949, he directed and also appeared on television alongside his wife in the first two seasons of ''[[Studio One (CBS series)|Studio One]]''. He also appeared in other shows.

Brynner made his film debut in ''[[Port of New York (film)|Port of New York]]'', released in November 1949.<ref>[http://www.tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/19181/Port-of-New-York/notes.html " 'Port of New York' Notes"] tcm.com, retrieved May 30, 2019</ref>

===1950s===
====''The King and I''====
The next year, at the urging of Martin, Brynner auditioned for [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]'s new musical in New York. He recalled that, as he was finding success as a director on television, he was reluctant to go back on the stage. Once he read the script, however, he was fascinated by the character of the King and was eager to perform in the project.<ref>Capua, pp. 26, 28</ref>

[[File:King dictates to Anna.jpg|thumb|left|alt=woman kneeling in front of a standing man; the two are conversing and each is gesturing with one hand as if ringing a small bell|Brynner with [[Gertrude Lawrence]] in the original production of ''The King and&nbsp;I'' (1951)]]
Brynner's role as [[King Mongkut]] in ''[[The King and I]]'' (4,625 times on stage) became his best known. He appeared in the original 1951 production opposite [[Gertrude Lawrence]] and later touring productions, as well as a 1977 Broadway revival, a London production in 1979, and another Broadway revival in 1985. He won the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical]] for the first of these Broadway productions and a special Tony for the last.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/winners/?q=brynner|title=Winners|website=www.tonyawards.com}}</ref> 

He reprised the role in the [[The King and I (1956 film)|1956 film version]], for which he won an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] as [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]. He also played it in ''[[Anna and the King (TV series)|Anna and the King]]'', a short-lived TV series on [[CBS]] in 1972. Brynner is one of only ten people who have won both a Tony and an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for the same role.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/history/facts/|title=tonyawards.com|access-date=August 9, 2013|archive-date=July 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704091953/http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/history/facts/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1951 Brynner shaved his head for his role in ''The King and I''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Yul Brynner, 65, dies of cancer in N.Y. hospital|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=October 10, 1985}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Lost' actor stars in West End's 'King'|url=http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2009/06/18/Lost-actor-stars-in-West-Ends-King/UPI-54921245381356|newspaper=UPI.com}}</ref> Following the huge success of the Broadway production and subsequent film, Brynner continued to shave his head for the rest of his life. He wore a wig when necessary for certain roles. Brynner's shaven head was unusual at the time, and his striking appearance helped to give him an exotic appeal.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brynner|first=Rock|title=Empire & odyssey: the Brynners in Far East Russia and beyond|year=2006|publisher=Steerforth Press}}</ref> Some fans shaved off their hair to imitate him.<ref>{{cite book|last=Crouse|first=Richard|title=Reel Winners: Movie Award Trivia|publisher=Dundurn|year=2005|url=https://archive.org/details/reelwinnersmovie0000crou|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/reelwinnersmovie0000crou/page/171 171]}}</ref> A shaven head was often referred to as the "Yul Brynner look".<ref>{{cite book|last=Doyle|first=Hubert|title=Ventures with the World of Celebrities, Movies & TV|year=2008|publisher=Joshua Tree |isbn=9780976867760|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IywAvmhXLPkC&pg=PA112}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Douty|first=Linda|title=How Did I Get to Be 70 When I'm 35 Inside?: Spiritual Surprises of Later Life|year=2011|publisher=SkyLight Paths |isbn=9781594732973|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WWL0FrvB0PIC&pg=PA50}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Yacowar|first=Maurice|title=The Bold Testament|year=1999|publisher=Bayeus |isbn=9781896209319|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eX060DD19MC&pg=PA139}}</ref>

Brynner's second motion picture was the film version of ''[[The King and I (1956 film)|The King and I]]'' (1956) with [[Deborah Kerr]]. It was a huge success critically and commercially.<ref>Miller, Frank. [https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/121565 ''The King and I''] tcm.com, retrieved May 30, 2019</ref>

[[File:Yul Brynner in The Ten Commandments (1956) (cropped).jpg|right|upright|thumb|Brynner as Ramesses II in ''[[The Ten Commandments (1956 film)|The Ten Commandments]]'' (1956)]]
[[Cecil B. de Mille]] hired Brynner for ''[[The Ten Commandments (1956 film)|The Ten Commandments]]'' (1956) to play [[Ramesses II]] opposite [[Charlton Heston]] after seeing him in the stage version of ''The King and I,'' telling Brynner backstage that he was the only person for the role.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yul Brynner: The Ten Commandments|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObdUuw5JETo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ObdUuw5JETo| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|website=YouTube| date=November 2, 2010 |publisher=Janson Media|access-date=April 2, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He rounded out his year with ''[[Anastasia (1956 film)|Anastasia]]'' (1956), co-starring with [[Ingrid Bergman]] under the direction of [[Anatole Litvak]]. Both films were big hits and Brynner became one of the most in-demand stars in Hollywood. {{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

MGM cast Brynner as one of ''[[The Brothers Karamazov (1958 film)|The Brothers Karamazov]]'' (1958), which was another commercial success. Less so was ''[[The Buccaneer (1958 film)|The Buccaneer]]'' (1958), in which Brynner played [[Jean Lafitte]]; he co-starred with Heston, [[Inger Stevens]], [[Claire Bloom]] and [[Charles Boyer]] in a historically accurate tale of the [[Battle of New Orleans]]. The film was produced by De Mille and directed by [[Anthony Quinn]].

MGM used Brynner again in ''[[The Journey (1959 film)|The Journey]]'' (1959), opposite Kerr under the direction of Litvak, but the film lost money. So too did ''[[The Sound and the Fury (1959 film)|The Sound and the Fury]]'' (1959) based on the novel by [[William Faulkner]] with [[Joanne Woodward]].

However, Brynner then received an offer to replace [[Tyrone Power]], who had died during the making of ''[[Solomon and Sheba]]'' (1959) with [[Gina Lollobrigida]]. The movie was a huge hit, which postponed the development of a planned Brynner film about [[Spartacus]]. When the [[Kirk Douglas]] film ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]'' (1960) came out, Brynner elected not to make his own version.<ref>"Future Still in Doubt for Power's Last Film: One of 3 Coproducers Reportedly Engaged Yul Brynner Without Consulting Partners". Los Angeles Times. November 19, 1958. p. 28.</ref>

===1960s===
Brynner tried comedy with two films directed by [[Stanley Donen]]: ''[[Once More, with Feeling!]]'' (1960) and ''[[Surprise Package (film)|Surprise Package]]'' (1960), but public response was underwhelming. He made a cameo in ''[[Testament of Orpheus]]''.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Film|last=Monaco|first=James|publisher=Perigee Books|year=1991|isbn=9780399516047|pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoffi00mona/page/121 121]|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoffi00mona/page/121}}</ref>

[[File:Rosenda Monteros and Yul Brynner in The Magnificent Seven (1960).jpg|thumb|upright|left|Brynner with [[Rosenda Monteros]] in ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'' (1960)]]
Although the public received him well in ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'' (1960), a Western adaptation of ''[[Seven Samurai]]'' for [[The Mirisch Company]], the picture proved a disappointment on its initial release in the U.S. However, it was hugely popular in Europe and has had enduring popularity. Its ultimate success led to Brynner's signing a three-picture deal with the Mirisches.<ref>"Looking at Hollywood: Yul Brynner, Mirisch Co. Ink 12 Million Dollar Pact" Hopper, Hedda. ''Chicago Daily Tribune'' July 6, 1961: c8.</ref> The film was especially popular in the [[List of highest-grossing films in the Soviet Union|Soviet Union, where it sold 67{{nbsp}}million tickets]].<ref>{{cite web |title="Великолепная семерка" (The Magnificent Seven, 1960) |url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/8207/ |website=[[KinoPoisk]] |access-date=August 27, 2019 |language=ru}}</ref> He then made a cameo in ''[[Goodbye Again (1961 film)|Goodbye Again]]'' (1961).

Brynner focused on action films. He did ''[[Escape from Zahrain]]'' (1962), with [[Ronald Neame]] as director, and ''[[Taras Bulba (1962 film)|Taras Bulba]]'' (1962), with [[Tony Curtis]] for [[J. Lee Thompson]]. Both films were commercial disappointments; ''Taras Bulba'' was popular but failed to recoup its large cost.

The first film under Brynner's three-picture deal with Mirisch was ''[[Flight from Ashiya]]'' (1963) with [[George Chakiris]]. It was followed by ''[[Kings of the Sun]]'' (1963), also with Chakiris, directed by Thompson. Neither film was particularly popular; nor was ''[[Invitation to a Gunfighter]]'' (1964), a western. ''[[Morituri (1965 film)|Morituri]]'' (1965), opposite [[Marlon Brando]], failed to reverse the series of unsuccessful movies. He had cameos in ''[[Cast a Giant Shadow]]'' (1966) and ''[[The Poppy Is Also a Flower]]'' (1966).<ref name=filmo/>

Brynner enjoyed a hit with ''[[Return of the Seven]]'' (1966), reprising his role from the original. Less popular were ''[[Triple Cross (1966 film)|Triple Cross]]'' (1966), a war movie with [[Christopher Plummer]]; ''[[The Double Man (1967 film)|The Double Man]]'' (1967), a spy thriller; ''[[The Long Duel]]'' (1967), an Imperial adventure tale opposite [[Trevor Howard]]; ''[[Villa Rides]]'' (1968), a Western; and ''[[The File of the Golden Goose]]'' (1969).<ref name=filmo/>

[[File:S.Kragujevic, Yul Brynner in Sarajevo,1969.JPG|right|thumb|upright|Brynner at the premiere of ''[[Battle of Neretva (film)|Battle of Neretva]]'' in [[Sarajevo]] on November 29, 1969<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sarajevotimes.com/fifty-years-ago-on-this-day-there-were-6-000-guests-at-the-opening-of-skenderija/|title=Fifty Years ago on This Day there were 6.000 Guests at the Opening of ''Skenderija''|work=Sarajevo Times|date=November 27, 2019|access-date=December 20, 2019|last1=Z |first1=Y. }}</ref>]]
Brynner went to Yugoslavia to star in a war film, ''[[Battle of Neretva (film)|Battle of Neretva]]'' (1969). He supported [[Katharine Hepburn]] in the big-budget flop ''[[The Madwoman of Chaillot (film)|The Madwoman of Chaillot]]'' (1969). Brynner appeared in drag (as a [[torch song|torch singer]]) in an unbilled role in the [[Peter Sellers]] comedy ''[[The Magic Christian (film)|The Magic Christian]]'' (1969).<ref>Krafsur, Richard P., ed. ''American Film Institute Catalog, Feature Films 1961–1970'' (p. 662), R.R. Bowker Company, 1976; {{ISBN|0-8352-0453-7}}</ref>

===Later career===
Brynner went to Italy to make a [[Spaghetti Western]], ''[[Adiós, Sabata]]'' (1970) and supported [[Kirk Douglas]] in ''[[The Light at the Edge of the World]]'' (1971). He remained in lead roles for ''[[Romance of a Horsethief]]'' (1971) and a Western, ''[[Catlow]]'' (1971).<ref name=filmo/>

Brynner had a small role in ''[[Fuzz (film)|Fuzz]]'' (1972)<ref name=filmo/> then reprised his most famous part in the TV series ''[[Anna and the King (TV series)|Anna and the King]]'' (1972) which ran for 13 episodes.

After ''[[Night Flight from Moscow]]'' (1973) in Europe, Brynner created one of his iconic roles in the [[cult hit]] film ''[[Westworld (film)|Westworld]]'' (1973) as the 'Gunslinger', a killer robot. His next two films were variations on this performance: ''[[The Ultimate Warrior (film)|The Ultimate Warrior]]'' (1975) and ''[[Futureworld]]'' (1976).<ref name=filmo>[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/24425%7C158718/yul-brynner#filmography "Yul Brynner Filmography"] tcm.com, retrieved May 30, 2019</ref>

Brynner returned to Broadway in ''[[Home Sweet Homer (musical)|Home Sweet Homer]]'', a notorious flop musical. His final movie was ''[[Death Rage]]'' (1976), an Italian action film.