No One Believed These Yul Brynner Stories! Until They Watched This!
Yul Brynner, the unforgettable King of Broadway and Hollywood, lived a life so full of contradictions, reinvention, and drama that even his closest relatives called his story a fabrication. For 65 years, he lied about his origins, his heritage, and even his name. But the truth—revealed through documented records and personal testimonies—is even more astonishing than the myths he created.
Brynner was born Yuliy Borisovich Briner in Vladivostok, Russia, not on Sakhalin Island as he often claimed. His father was a Swiss-Russian mining engineer, not Mongolian royalty, and his mother was a Russian actress, not Roma. Despite his own sister Vera publicly denouncing his invented heritage, Brynner became honorary president of the International Romani Union and maintained this role until his death. He famously declared, “People don’t know my real self, and they’re not about to find out.”
But Brynner’s invented identity was just the beginning. At age 16, he fell from a trapeze while performing in Paris, breaking 40 bones and spending eight months paralyzed. The trauma led to an opium addiction, and at 17, he became the supplier for famed artist Jean Cocteau. After a year in a Swiss clinic for hypnotherapy, he overcame his addiction, though the pain haunted him for life.
His most iconic feature—the shaved head—wasn’t even his idea. Costume designer Irene Sharaff insisted he shave his remaining hair for “The King and I.” Brynner hated the look at first but later embraced it, shaving his head daily for 34 years and demanding no other bald men appear in photos with him. The bald, intense stare became his trademark, inspiring the look of Professor X in Marvel’s X-Men.
Brynner’s dedication to his craft was legendary. He played the role of the King of Siam in “The King and I” a record 4,625 times over 34 years, including 625 performances while dying of lung cancer. On the day he received his cancer diagnosis, he performed as usual, and continued to take the stage throughout his illness, embodying the dying king while actually dying himself.
His feud with Steve McQueen during “The Magnificent Seven” became Hollywood legend. McQueen used coin flips and hat adjustments to steal scenes, prompting Brynner to hire an assistant to count McQueen’s fidgets. The rivalry lasted 20 years until McQueen, dying of cancer, called Brynner to make amends. Brynner forgave him, recognizing their conflict had made them both legends.
Beyond acting, Brynner was a gifted photographer, capturing candid images of celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. His daughter Victoria compiled over 8,000 of his photos into four volumes, and his work was praised by Henri Cartier-Bresson.
As his illness progressed, Brynner recorded a powerful anti-smoking message, aired posthumously as a PSA: “Now that I’m gone, I tell you: don’t smoke. Whatever you do, just don’t smoke.” His words saved lives long after his death.
Yul Brynner died in 1985, his ashes secretly buried at a French monastery. In Vladivostok, an eight-foot statue stands in his honor, marking the place where the boy who reinvented himself was born.
Brynner’s life proves that reinvention is possible. He lied about his origins, became a king on stage, and left behind a legacy that continues to inspire and warn. His story is a testament to the power of self-creation, resilience, and the enduring impact of truth—even when it’s stranger than fiction.
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