Paul Muni
Biography
Paul Muni was an American stage and film actor who began in the Yiddish theater in Chicago, where he was raised after his birth in Lviv in 1895. The son of actors, he learned makeup skills that let him play characters far older than his years, including an 80-year-old man at age 12. He moved to Broadway in 1926, made his film debut in The Valiant (1929), and earned an Oscar nomination for it. At Warner Bros. he became known for intense preparation and powerful roles, starring in Scarface (1932) and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), the latter bringing another Oscar nomination. He won the Academy Award for The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) and was nominated for The Life of Emile Zola (1937). Other films included The Good Earth (1937), Juarez (1939), and A Song to Remember (1945). He later won a Tony Award for Inherit the Wind. He died in 1967.
71years old at death
- Born Lviv
- Died Montecito
- Star sign: VirgoLast day of the sign, on the Libra cusp
- Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund (birth name)Also credited as Muni Weisenfreund
Movie Career
- Films
- 9
- Career span
- 13 years1932 to 1945
Genres
First and latest
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Big break
Muni talked Warner Bros. into taking a financial risk by making The Story of Louis Pasteur, a successful historical biography released in 1936. It was the first of his many biographical roles, and his performance won him an Oscar.
Getting ready for a role
For The Story of Louis Pasteur, Muni read everything in the library he could find about Pasteur, Lister and their contemporaries to prepare for the part.
Behind the award
Muni starred in Black Fury in 1935. He was not officially nominated for Best Actor at the 8th Academy Awards, but write-in votes, permitted that year, placed him second.
Paul Muni movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
William Dieterle directed three of these films. Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Henry O'Neill's page
Walter Kingsford's page
Bette Davis's page
Donald Crisp's page
Robert Barrat's page
Harry Davenport's page
William DieterleDirector, 3 films, 1936 to 1939
All films by William Dieterle
Also two films together4 more actors
- Robert WarwickThe Life of Emile Zola (1937) and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
- Louis CalhernJuarez (1939) and The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
- Erville AldersonCommandos Strike at Dawn (1942) and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
- Gale SondergaardJuarez (1939) and The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Five awards and honors from 1936 to 1956, three of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1937 | Best Actor | The Story of Louis Pasteur | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | |||
| 1936 | Volpi Cup for Best Actor | The Story of Louis Pasteur | Won |
| Tony Awards | |||
| 1956 | Best Actor in a Play | Won | |
| Other honors | |||
| Donaldson Awards | Won | ||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.