HomeStatisticsDirector/ProducerCharles Laughton Height, Weight, Age, Death, Spouse, Biography

Charles Laughton Height, Weight, Age, Death, Spouse, Biography

Charles Laughton Quick Info
Height 5 ft 7½ in
Weight 92 kg
Date of Birth July 1, 1899
Zodiac Sign Cancer
Date of Death  December 15, 1962

Charles Laughton was a British-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter whose film credits as an actor have included The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Ruggles of Red Gap (1935), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), The Big Clock (1948), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), etc. Additionally, he had also directed The Night of the Hunter (1955), which has turned into a cult classic over time.

Born Name

Charles Laughton

Nick Name

Charles

Charles Laughton as seen in a still from the 1934 film The Barretts of Wimpole Street
Charles Laughton as seen in a still from the 1934 film The Barretts of Wimpole Street (Clarence Bull / Wikimedia / Public Domain)

Age

He was born on July 1, 1899.

Died

Charles passed away at the age of 63 years from renal cancer on December 15, 1962, in Hollywood, California.

Sun Sign

Cancer

Born Place

Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Nationality

British, American

Occupation

Actor, Director, Producer, Screenwriter

Family

  • Father – Robert Laughton (Yorkshire Hotel Keeper)
  • Mother – Eliza Conlon (Yorkshire Hotel Keeper)
  • Siblings – Tom Laughton (Younger Brother), Francis Laughton (Younger Brother)

Build

Large

Height

5 ft 7½ in or 171.5 cm

Weight

92 kg or 203 lbs

Girlfriend / Boyfriend / Spouse

Charles Laughton had dated –

  1. Basil Gill
  2. Elsa Lanchester (1927-1962) – He tied the knot with actress Elsa Lanchester in 1929. The couple had worked together in several films including The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), Rembrandt (1936), Tales of Manhattan (1942), The Big Clock (1948), etc. They did not have any children together but stayed married until Laughton’s death in 1962.
  3. Tyrone Power – He allegedly had a homose**al relationship with Tyrone Power, according to the Hollywood pros**tute Scotty Bowers.
Charles Laughton as seen in a still from the 1944 film The Suspect
Charles Laughton as seen in a still from the 1944 film The Suspect (Universal Pictures / Wikimedia / Public Domain)

Race / Ethnicity

White

He had English ancestry on his father’s side and was of Irish descent on his mother’s side.

Hair Color

Dark Brown

Eye Color

Blue

Sexual Orientation

Bisexual

Distinctive Features

  • Wide forehead
  • Powerful, booming shouting voice
Charles Laughton (right) as seen with Tennessee Ernie Ford during a guest appearance on The Ford Show in 1961
Charles Laughton (right) as seen with Tennessee Ernie Ford during a guest appearance on The Ford Show in 1961 (Ford Motor Company / Wikimedia / Public Domain)

Charles Laughton Facts

  1. His spectacular performance as Henry VIII in Alexander Korda’s film, The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) made him an overnight star and earned him the Academy Award for ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ in 1934.
  2. Laughton had a soft spot for actress Maureen O’Hara, whom he mentored after discovering her at the age of 18 years. He had even considered adopting her as his daughter at some point and remained a fatherly figure in her life until his death. However, his wife saw Maureen as an opportunist and strongly disliked her. Moreover, the two had worked together in Alfred Hitchcock‘s film, Jamaica Inn (1939).
  3. On February 8, 1960, he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
  4. The revered actor Daniel Day-Lewis has cited Laughton as one of his biggest inspirations as an actor.
  5. Three of his films have been selected to be a part of the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress due to them being ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically’ significant. He acted in 2 of these films, which are Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) and Spartacus (1960). The third is The Night of the Hunter (1955), which he directed.
  6. His only directorial venture The Night of the Hunter (1955) was so widely criticized that Laughton vowed never to direct a movie again. However, over time, the film became a cult classic and was ranked at #34 in the American Film Institute‘s list of ‘100 Years…100 Thrills’ in 2001.

Featured Image by Clarence Bull / Wikimedia / Public Domain

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