Boris Karloff (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), whose real name was William Henry Pratt, 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 brief time he was billed simply as "Karloff" or "Karloff the Uncanny". His best-known non-horror role is as the Grinch in the television special of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.
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Known For
Scarface
(1932)
Gaffney
The Mad Genius
(1931)
Fedor's Father (uncredited)
Frankenstein
(1931)
The Monster
Bride of Frankenstein
(1935)
The Monster
The Terror
(1963)
Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
(1966)
Narrator / The Grinch (voice)
The Black Cat
(1934)
Hjalmar Poelzig
Son of Frankenstein
(1939)
The Monster
The Raven
(1963)
Dr. Scarabus
Bedlam
(1946)
George Sims
The Mummy
(1932)
Imhotep, alias Ardath Bey
The Last Repair Shop
(2024)
The Monster (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Old Dark House
(1932)
Morgan
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
(1953)
Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
Targets
(1968)
Byron Orlok
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(1947)
Dr. Hugo Hollingshead
Full Filmography
Acting
His Majesty, the American
(1919)
Henchman in cloth cap
The Prince and Betty
(1919)
Undetermined Role
The Lightning Raider
(1919)
The Last of the Mohicans
(1920)
Indian (uncredited)
The Deadlier Sex
(1920)
Jules Borney
The Courage of Marge O'Doone
(1920)
Tavish
Without Benefit of Clergy
(1921)
Ahmed Khan
The Hope Diamond Mystery
(1921)
Priest of Kama-Sita / Dakar
Cheated Hearts
(1921)
Nei Hamid
The Cave Girl
(1921)
Baptiste
The Woman Conquers
(1922)
Raoul Maris
Omar the Tentmaker
(1922)
Imam Mowaffak
The Man from Downing Street
(1922)
Maharajah Jehan
The Infidel
(1922)
The Nabob
Nan of the North
(1922)
Undetermined Role (uncredited)
The Altar Stairs
(1922)
Hugo
The Prisoner
(1923)
Prince Kapolski
The White Panther
(1924)
Shere Ali's Aide (as Karloff Boris)
Dynamite Dan
(1924)
Tony Garcia
The Hellion
(1924)
The Outlaw
Riders of the Plains
(1924)
The Prairie Wife
(1925)
Diego
Lady Robinhood
(1925)
Cabraza
Parisian Nights
(1925)
Pierre
Without Mercy
(1925)
Madame Gordon's 2nd Henchman (uncredited)
Never the Twain Shall Meet
(1925)
Perils of the Wild
(1925)
Forbidden Cargo
(1925)
Pietro Castillano
The Bells
(1926)
The Mesmerist
Her Honor, the Governor
(1926)
Snipe Collins
The Greater Glory
(1926)
Scissors Grinder
Flaming Fury
(1926)
Gaspard
The Eagle of the Sea
(1926)
Pirate (uncredited)
The Nickel-Hopper
(1926)
Dance Hall Masher
The Golden Web
(1926)
Dave Sinclair
Old Ironsides
(1926)
Saracen Guard (uncredited)
The Man in the Saddle
(1926)
Robber (uncredited)
Flames
(1926)
Blackie Blanchette
The Phantom Buster
(1927)
Ramon
Two Arabian Knights
(1927)
Purser
The Princess from Hoboken
(1927)
Pavel
The Meddlin' Stranger
(1927)
Al Meggs
Soft Cushions
(1927)
The Chief Conspirator
The Love Mart
(1927)
Fleming
Let It Rain
(1927)
Crook
Tarzan and the Golden Lion
(1927)
Owaza
The Vanishing Rider
(1928)
The Villain
The Little Wild Girl
(1928)
Maurice Kent
Vultures of the Sea
(1928)
Grouchy
Sharp Shooters
(1928)
Cafe Proprietor (uncredited)
The Phantom of the North
(1929)
Jules Gregg
The Fatal Warning
(1929)
Mullins
Anne Against the World
(1929)
The King of the Kongo
(1929)
Scarface Macklin
Two Sisters
(1929)
Cecil
The Devil's Chaplain
(1929)
Boris
The Unholy Night
(1929)
Abdul Mohammed Bey - the Hindu Lawyer (uncredited)
Burning the Wind
(1929)
Pug Doran
Behind That Curtain
(1929)
Beetham's Manservent
The Sea Bat
(1930)
Corsican
The Utah Kid
(1930)
Henchman Baxter
The Bad One
(1930)
Monsieur Gaston
The Public Defender
(1931)
The Professor
Five Star Final
(1931)
T. Vernon Isopod
Tonight or Never
(1931)
Waiter
The Criminal Code
(1931)
Ned Galloway
The Mad Genius
(1931)
Fedor's Father (uncredited)
King of the Wild
(1931)
Mustapha
Smart Money
(1931)
Sport Williams
Graft
(1931)
Terry
I Like Your Nerve
(1931)
Luigi - Pacheco's Butler
Cracked Nuts
(1931)
Boris - First Revolutionary
Young Donovan's Kid
(1931)
Cokey Joe
The Vanishing Legion
(1931)
The Voice (voice)
Frankenstein
(1931)
The Monster
The Yellow Ticket
(1931)
Drunken Orderly
The Guilty Generation
(1931)
Tony Ricca
The Miracle Man
(1932)
Nikko
The Mummy
(1932)
Imhotep, alias Ardath Bey
Boo
(1932)
Frankenstein's Monster (edited from "Frankenstein")
The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood
(1932)
Boris Karloff
The Old Dark House
(1932)
Morgan
Skyscraper Souls
(1932)
Man Approaching Ticket Counter
The Mask of Fu Manchu
(1932)
Dr. Fu Manchu
Scarface
(1932)
Gaffney
Behind the Mask
(1932)
Jim Henderson
Business and Pleasure
(1932)
Sheik Ali Ben Joseph (uncredited)
Night World
(1932)
'Happy' MacDonald
The Ghoul
(1933)
Prof. Morlant
Screen Snapshots No. 11
(1934)
Himself
The Lost Patrol
(1934)
Sanders
The Black Cat
(1934)
Hjalmar Poelzig
Gift of Gab
(1934)
Himself
The House of Rothschild
(1934)
Count Ledrantz
The Raven
(1935)
Edmond Bateman
The Black Room
(1935)
Baron Gregor de Berghman / Anton de Berghman
Bride of Frankenstein
(1935)
The Monster
Hollywood Hobbies
(1935)
Himself
Charlie Chan at the Opera
(1936)
Gravelle
The Walking Dead
(1936)
John Ellman
The Invisible Ray
(1936)
Dr. Janos Rukh
Juggernaut
(1936)
Dr. Victor Sartorius
The Man Who Changed His Mind
(1936)
Dr. Laurience
Breakdowns of 1937
(1937)
Self
Night Key
(1937)
David Mallory
West of Shanghai
(1937)
Wu Yen Fang
Cinema Circus
(1937)
Himself
The Invisible Menace
(1938)
Jevries
Mr. Wong, Detective
(1938)
James Lee Wong
The Mystery of Mr. Wong
(1939)
James Lee Wong
Mr. Wong in Chinatown
(1939)
Mr. James Lee Wong
British Intelligence
(1939)
Valdar
Tower of London
(1939)
Mord
The Man They Could Not Hang
(1939)
Dr. Henryk Savaard
Devil's Island
(1939)
Dr. Charles Gaudet
Son of Frankenstein
(1939)
The Monster
The Fatal Hour
(1940)
James Lee Wong
You'll Find Out
(1940)
Judge Spencer Mainwaring
The Ape
(1940)
Dr. Bernard Adrian
Black Friday
(1940)
Dr. Ernest Sovac
The Man with Nine Lives
(1940)
Dr. Leon Kravaal
Before I Hang
(1940)
Dr. John Garth
Doomed to Die
(1940)
James Lee Wong
The Mummy's Hand
(1940)
Kharis (archive footage / uncredited)
The Devil Commands
(1941)
Dr. Julian Blair
Information Please: Series 2, No. 12
(1941)
Self
The Boogie Man Will Get You
(1942)
Prof. Nathaniel Billings
Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
(1942)
Himself
The Climax
(1944)
Dr. Friedrich Hohner
House of Frankenstein
(1944)
Dr. Gustav Niemann
The Mummy's Curse
(1944)
Kharis in Flashback (archive footage / uncredited)
The Body Snatcher
(1945)
John Gray
Isle of the Dead
(1945)
Gen. Nikolas Pherides
Bedlam
(1946)
George Sims
Unconquered
(1947)
Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(1947)
Dr. Hugo Hollingshead
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
(1947)
Gruesome
Lured
(1947)
Charles van Druten
Tap Roots
(1948)
Tishomingo
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff
(1949)
Swami Talpur
The Emperor's Nightingale
(1949)
Narrator (English version)
The Strange Door
(1951)
Voltan
The Black Castle
(1952)
Dr. Meissen
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
(1953)
Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
Colonel March Investigates
(1953)
Colonel March
The Island Monster
(1954)
Don Gaetano
The Sting of Death
(1955)
Mr. Mycroft
A Connecticut Yankee
(1955)
King Arthur
Sabaka
(1955)
General Pollegar
The Juggler of Our Lady
(1957)
Narrator (voice)
Voodoo Island
(1957)
Phillip Knight
The Lark
(1957)
Bishop Cauchon
Grip of the Strangler
(1958)
James Rankin
Corridors of Blood
(1958)
Dr. Thomas Bolton
Frankenstein 1970
(1958)
Baron Viktor von Frankenstein
Destination Nightmare
(1958)
Host / Ira Perry / Pete Wade Sr. / Professor Charles Goncourt / Morgan Debs
Jack the Ripper
(1958)
Host / Capt. John Elwood / Jonas Atterbury / Dr. Francis Mason
Heart of Darkness
(1958)
Mr. Kurtz
The Return of Andrew Bentley
(1961)
Host
Days of Thrills and Laughter
(1961)
Self (archive footage)
The Incredible Doktor Markesan
(1962)
Dr. Konrad Markesan
Arsenic & Old Lace
(1962)
Jonathan Brewster
Little Lost Robot
(1962)
Host
The Storm
(1962)
The Raven
(1963)
Dr. Scarabus
Black Sabbath
(1963)
Gorca (segment "The Wurdalak")
The Terror
(1963)
Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe
A Fool's World
(1964)
Narrator
Horror!!!
(1964)
Self
The Comedy of Terrors
(1964)
Amos Hinchley
Bikini Beach
(1964)
Art Dealer
Today's Teens
(1964)
Narrator
The Son of Frankenstein
(1965)
The Monster (archive footage)
Die, Monster, Die!
(1965)
Nahum Witley
The Daydreamer
(1966)
The Rat (voice)
Doom of Dracula
(1966)
The Madman
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
(1966)
The Corpse
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
(1966)
Narrator / The Grinch (voice)
The Venetian Affair
(1967)
Dr. Pierre Vaugiroud
The Sorcerers
(1967)
Prof. Marcus Monserrat
Mad Monster Party?
(1967)
Baron Boris von Frankenstein (voice)
The Movie Orgy
(1968)
Self (archive footage)
Curse of the Crimson Altar
(1968)
Professor John Marsh
Macabre Serenade
(1968)
Matthias Morteval
Targets
(1968)
Byron Orlok
Fear Chamber
(1968)
Dr. Carl Mandel
Hatchet for the Honeymoon
(1970)
Gorca (archive footage)
Cauldron of Blood
(1970)
Franz Badulescu
Isle of the Snake People
(1971)
Carl van Molder / Damballah
Alien Terror
(1971)
Prof. John Mayer
Madhouse
(1974)
(archive footage)
The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute
(1974)
Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
(1975)
Self (archive footage)
The Horror Show
(1979)
(archive footage)
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
(1982)
Self (archive footage)
The Horror of It All
(1983)
Frankenstein / Cabman John Gray (archive footage)
Terror in the Aisles
(1984)
The Monster (Archive Footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
(1984)
(archive footage)
Horrible Horror
(1986)
Gruesome in 'Dick Tracey Meets Gruesome'
Creepy Classics
(1987)
Dr. Scarabus - (archive footage)
Transylvania Twist
(1989)
Man in Room
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
(1990)
(archive footage)
Abbott and Costello in the Movies
(1990)
Archival
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
(1991)
The Monster / Gustav Niemann / Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde / etc.
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
(1991)
Doctor Gustav Niemann (archive footage)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition
(1994)
(voice - archive footage)
In Search of Dr. Seuss
(1994)
(voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Universal Story
(1996)
Himself (archive footage)
Universal Horror
(1998)
(archive footage)
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
(1999)
Self (archive footage)
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
(2000)
Self (archive footage)
The American Nightmare
(2000)
Self
The Many Faces of Dracula
(2000)
The Monster (archive footage)
Heroes of Horror
(2001)
(archive footage)
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
(2002)
Self (archive footage)
The Mesmerist
(2003)
(archive footage)
Monster Movie Trivia Quiz
(2004)
Karloff: The Gentle Monster
(2006)
Self (archive footage)
Lugosi: The Dark Prince
(2006)
Self (archive footage)
Terror in the Tropics
(2006)
Mr. Wong (archive footage)
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
(2007)
Self (archive footage)
Ian Rankin Investigates: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
(2007)
Cabman John Gray (archive footage)
Bela Lugosi: The Fallen Vampire
(2007)
Himself (archive footage)
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
(2008)
Self (archive footage)
The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features
(2012)
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
(2013)
Self (archive footage)
A Masque of Madness (Notes on Film 06-B, Monologue 02)
(2013)
Self (archive footage)
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
(2014)
Various roles (archive footage)
Jack Pierce: The Man Who Made the Monsters
(2015)
Self (archive footage)
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster
(2021)
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!
(2021)
Self (archive footage)
Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story
(2022)
Self - Interviewee
The Last Repair Shop
(2024)
The Monster (archive footage) (uncredited)
Crew