Boris Karloff

Also known as William Henry Pratt, William Pratt

British actor (1887–1969)

AI overview

Boris Karloff was a British actor who became one of the most iconic figures in horror cinema during the 20th century, best known for his role as the monster in the 1931 film "Frankenstein." His distinctive appearance and talent for portraying grotesque and menacing characters made him a legendary influence on horror films and popular culture.

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Film & TV

Camberwell, London, England, UK

William Henry Pratt (November 23, 1887 – February 2, 1969), better known as Boris Karloff, was an English-born actor who emigrated to Canada in 1909. Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and Son of Frankenstein (1939). His popularity following Frankenstein was such that for a…

Known for

The Orbit of Minor Satellites — Roger Ashley Norton2026
Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies — Self - (archive footage)2025
The Last Repair Shop — The Monster (archive footage) (uncredited)2024
Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story — Self - Interviewee2022
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster — Self (archive footage)2021
Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists! — Self (archive footage)2021
Jack Pierce: The Man Who Made the Monsters — Self (archive footage)2015
True Fear: The Making of Psycho — Self2015
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film — Various roles (archive footage)2014
A Masque of Madness (Notes on Film 06-B, Monologue 02) — Self (archive footage)2013

via TMDB

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Family name: Pratt
Gender: male
Citizenship: United States
Place of birth: Dulwich
Place of death: Midhurst
Occupation: actor
Languages spoken: English language
Native language: English language
Religion: Anglicanism
Award: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Official website: www.karloff.com
Image: Boris Karloff.jpg
Height: 180

Show 13 more facts

Commons category: Boris Karloff
date of birth: 1887-11-23
date of death: 1969-02-02
Commons gallery: Boris Karloff
nominated for: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
manner of death: natural causes
cause of death: pneumonia
name in native language: William Henry Pratt
start of work period: 1919-00-00
end of work period: 1963-00-00
birth name: William Henry Pratt
pseudonym: Boris Karloff
writing language: English language

Sources (8)

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Encyclopedic overview

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William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff (/ˈkɑːrlɒf/), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film Frankenstein (1931), his 82nd film, established him as a horror icon, and he reprised the role for the sequels Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). He also appeared as Imhotep in The Mummy (1932), and voiced the Grinch in, as well as narrating, the animated television special of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966), which won him a Grammy Award.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Boris Karloff” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.