Yul Brynner

Actor

Updated: September 11th, 2023

Home:

USA

Born:

1920

Died:

1985

Yul Brynner (full name Yuliy Borisovich Briner, 1920-1985): Russian-born actor, distinguished by a shaven head before this look became more widely popular. Won Tony awards and an Oscar for Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s stage and film musical, ‘The King and I’, and played Rameses II in Cecil B. DeMille’s epic ‘The Ten Commandments’ (1956); gunman Chris Adams in ‘The Magnificent Seven (1960), plus its first sequel; and the android Gunslinger in ‘Westworld’ (1973) and ‘Futureworld’ (1976). Within MAD, Brynner’s sojourn began with Kelly Freas’s ad parody for Volatilis Hair Remover (#35 1957). His trademark look has tended to result in generic cameos, including by Bob Clarke (twice in #38 1958); C. C. Beall Jr (#39 1958); Joe Orlando (#52 1960); Clarke again (#66 61); Wallace Wood (#71 1962); and Jack Rickard (#77 1963), culminating in commendable efforts from Larry Siegel/Mort Drucker: Marty (Mardy, #78 1963) and The Flying Nun (Nut, #121 1968).