Question 1

True or false: Yul Brynner was a Russian-born actor known for his iconic shaved head.

Accepted Answer

True. Born in Vladivostok, Russia, he adopted a shaved head for his role in 'The King and I' and kept it as his trademark.

Question 2

True or false: Brynner was a heavy smoker who died of lung cancer.

Accepted Answer

True. He smoked up to four packs a day and died of lung cancer in 1985, despite later quitting.

Question 3

True or false: He performed as a trapeze artist in a circus before becoming an actor.

Accepted Answer

True. Brynner worked as a circus acrobat and trapeze artist in his youth in France, which trained his physical grace.

Question 4

True or false: Brynner played the same role—the King of Siam—over 4,600 times on stage and screen.

Accepted Answer

True. He performed the role in the Broadway musical and film 'The King and I' a record 4,625 times.

Question 5

True or false: He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in 'The King and I'.

Accepted Answer

False. He was nominated but did not win; the Oscar went to Yul Brynner for 'The King and I'? Actually, he won in 1956 for that role—this is true!

Question 6

True or false: Brynner was a master of the Japanese martial art of kendo.

Accepted Answer

False. He was skilled in judo and aikido, but not kendo. He even taught judo at a dojo in Paris.

Question 7

True or false: He was a close friend and frequent co-star of Marlon Brando.

Accepted Answer

False. They never starred together in a film; Brynner's famous co-stars included Deborah Kerr and Ingrid Bergman.

Question 8

True or false: He was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan.

Accepted Answer

False. Brynner claimed this, but it's unproven and widely considered a myth he promoted for exotic appeal.

Yul Brynner Trivia Questions