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Born in 1899 at Scarborough, Yorkshire, Laughton at first went into the family business, not making his first stage appearance until 1926. Despite not having the looks for a romantic lead, he impressed audiences with his talent and played many classical roles before making his film debut in 1932. His association with the director, Alexander Korda, began with The Private Life of Henry VIII (loosely based on the life of King Henry VIII of England), for which Laughton won an Academy Award.

Later films included The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1939). Despite his homosexual inclinations, he had a long and resilient marriage to the actress, Elsa Lanchester, who appeared opposite him in several films, including Rembrandt (1936). In 1950, he took American citizenship. At the time of his death in 1962, he was preparing to play the emperor Claudius, in an ill-fated film version of the book, I, Claudius, by Robert Graves.

Laughton had one stint as a director, and the result was the legendary The Night of the Hunter (1955), starring Robert Mitchum and Lillian Gish. This movie is often cited among critics as one of the best movies of the 1950s; unfortunately, it was a box-office flop. Laughton never had another chance to direct his own movies.