HomeStatisticsDirector/ProducerLon Chaney Height, Weight, Age, Facts, Biography

Lon Chaney Height, Weight, Age, Facts, Biography

Lon Chaney Quick Info
Height 5 ft 7 in
Weight 70 kg
Date of Birth April 1, 1883
Zodiac Sign Aries
Date of Death August 26, 1930

Lon Chaney was an American actor, theatre artist, director, screenwriter, and makeup artist who is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors in cinema. His artistry with makeup as well as the ability to completely transform himself earned him the nickname “The Man of a Thousand Faces”. His filmography includes The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera, While the City Sleeps, All the Brothers Were Valiant, Flesh and Blood, The Wicked Darling, The Girl in the Checkered Coat, The Millionaire Paupers, and The Fascination of the Fleur de Lis. On February 8, 1960, Chaney was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7046 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Born Name

Leonidas Frank Chaney

Other Names

Lon, Lon Chaney Sr., The Man of a Thousand Faces, The Master of Horror

Lon Chaney as seen in a still from 'The Miracle Man' (1919)
Lon Chaney as seen in a still from ‘The Miracle Man’ (1919) (Unknown Author / doctormacro.com / Public Domain)

Age

He was born on April 1, 1883.

Died

On August 26, 1930, he died of a throat hemorrhage at 47 in Los Angeles, California, United States.

Resting Place

Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, United States

Sun Sign

Aries

Born Place

Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

Nationality

American

 

Occupation

Actor, Theatre Artist, Director, Screenwriter, Makeup Artist

Family

  • Father – Frank H. Chaney (Barber)
  • Mother – Emma Alice Kennedy
  • Siblings – John Chaney (Brother), George Chaney (Brother), Carolin Chaney (Sister)
  • Others – James H. Chaney (Paternal Grandfather), Caroline Uffner (Paternal Grandmother), Jonathan Ralston Kennedy (Maternal Grandfather) (Founded the “Colorado School for the Education of Mutes” (later: Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind) in 1874), Mary E. Jones (Maternal Grandmother), John Chaney (Great-Grandfather) (Congressman, U.S. Representative from Ohio for 3 terms from 1833 to 1839), Lon Ralph Chaney (Grandson), Ronald Creighton Chaney (Grandson)

Build

Slim

Lon Chaney as 'Quasimodo' and Patsy Ruth Miller as 'Esmeralda' in a publicity photo from the 1923 movie 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'
Lon Chaney as ‘Quasimodo’ and Patsy Ruth Miller as ‘Esmeralda’ in a publicity photo from the 1923 movie ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ (Wallace Worsley / The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film) / Public Domain)

Height

5 ft 7 in or 170 cm

Weight

70 kg or 154.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Lon Chaney had dated –

  1. Frances Cleveland (“Cleva”) Creighton (1905-1913)​ – He met and married then-16-year-old singer Cleva Creighton (Frances Cleveland Creighton) in 1905. Lon Chaney was 22 years old at the time of the marriage and the couple’s only child, a son named Creighton Tull Chaney (later known as Lon Chaney Jr.), was born in 1906. However, the marriage eventually started facing troubles and on April 30, 1913, Cleva went to the Majestic Theater in downtown Los Angeles (where Lon was managing the “Kolb and Dill” show) and attempted suicide by swallowing mercuric chloride. Although the scandalous suicide attempt failed, it ruined her singing career and the ensuing scandal and divorce forced Chaney out of the theater and into the film. They divorced in 1913.
  2. Hazel Bennett Hastings (1915-1930) – In 1915, Lon Chaney married a chorus girl named Hazel Bennett Hastings. She was one of his former colleagues in the Kolb and Dill company who had recently been divorced. The duo soon gained custody of Chaney’s 10-year-old son Creighton who had resided in different homes and boarding schools since Chaney’s divorce from Cleva in 1913. The couple remained together until his death in 1930 and Hazel was also interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale upon her death in 1933.

Race / Ethnicity

White

Lon Chaney was of English and French descent on his father’s side and had Scottish, English, and Irish roots on his mother’s side.

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

  • Frequently played macabre, menacing characters who nonetheless always have an undercurrent of pathos and melancholy
  • Extremely expressive performances in silent horror films
Lon Chaney as Chinese immigrant 'Yen Sin' in the film 'Shadows' (1922)
Lon Chaney as Chinese immigrant ‘Yen Sin’ in the film ‘Shadows’ (1922) (Orange County Archives / Flickr / CC BY 2.0)

Lon Chaney Favorite Things

  • One Of His Personal Favorite FilmsTell It to the Marines (1926)

SourceWikipedia

Lon Chaney Facts

  1. Both his parents were deaf and they met one another at the “Colorado School for the Education of Mutes” (later known as Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind) founded by Chaney’s maternal grandfather.
  2. Being the son of deaf adults, Chaney became skilled in pantomime.
  3. He enjoyed fishing.
  4. He was a heavy smoker.

Featured Image by Unknown Author / doctormacro.com / Public Domain

Did we miss anyone?

2 COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

subscribe

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Recent Articles