Where Did Yul Brynner Go To College?

Yul Brynner, the famous actor known for roles like King Mongkut in “The King and I” and Ramesses II in “The Ten Commandments”, had an interesting educational background that informed his prolific acting career.

Though he did not attend a traditional 4-year college, Brynner gained valuable experience through real-world adventures and self-directed learning.

Did Yul Brynner attend college?

No, Yul Brynner did not attend a traditional 4-year college or university. His education and early life experiences followed an unorthodox path that was impacted by world events and his innate curiosity and drive.

After a somewhat fragmented early childhood, Brynner dropped out of school at age 16 and joined a traveling Romani circus and later an acting troupe. During these years he learned skills like acrobatics and guitar playing while developing his talents as a performer.

Though he played the role of King Mongkut and claimed to have a PhD, Brynner did not attend college to earn a graduate degree. The character King Mongkut that Brynner depicted did have a doctorate from Oxford University. However, any references to Brynner himself having academic credentials like a PhD were merely part of the acting role.

What educational experiences did influence Yul Brynner?

Though Brynner did not receive a typical post-secondary education, he did have other formative educational and life experiences:

Two years study at the Sorbonne: From 1932-1934, Brynner lived in Paris and studied part-time at the Sorbonne (the University of Paris). He studied philosophy and mathematics, though did not earn a degree.

Joined a traveling circus: As a teenager in the early 1930s, Brynner worked as a trapeze artist and performer with a traveling Romani circus, gaining valuable performance experience.

Lived as a vagrant: During the Great Depression in the mid-1930s, Brynner lived an unsettled life, riding freight trains across Europe and learning to play guitar.

Studied acting and directing: In the early 1940s, Brynner acted, directed, and studied alongside Russian acting teacher Michael Chekhov at Chekhov’s acting studio in Hollywood.

So while Yul Brynner did not attend college in the traditional academic sense, he gained a unique self-education through life experiences ranging from performing acrobatics to riding freight trains across the continent. These served as invaluable preparation for his later prolific acting achievements.

When did Yul Brynner’s acting career begin?

Yul Brynner’s acting career began gathering steam in the mid-1940s. Some key early milestones:

• 1941 – Begins working as a director and actor at Michael Chekhov’s acting studio after immigrating to America
• 1946 – Has first credited TV role playing Dr. Gregor Zobel on the CBS show “Studio One”
• 1949 – Makes Broadway debut in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”
• 1951 – Portrays the King of Siam in stage version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I”
• 1956 – Reprises role as the King in film version of “The King and I”, winning Best Actor Academy Award

So while Brynner had performed in the circus and with acting troupes in the 1930s, his official acting career kicked off in the mid 1940s and was marked by his breakout Broadway and film roles such as the King of Siam.

What did reviewers say about Yul Brynner’s performance as King Mongkut?

Yul Brynner’s turn as the King of Siam (based on the real King Mongkut) in both the Broadway and film versions of “The King and I” earned him great critical praise and jump-started his acting career. Some key comments from reviewers:

“Mr. Brynner’s royal highness on stage won him audience sympathy as well as the critics’ plaudits.” – The New York Times, 1952

“Yul Brynner makes a splendid and dominating figure of the stubborn monarch, unaccustomed to dealing with a woman who was at least his match in stubbornness.” – Variety, 1956

“There is more chemistry this time ‘round between Brynner and his co-star…Brynner richly deserved the Oscar he received.” – TV Guide, awards retrospective in 1993

So reviewers applauded Brynner’s regal yet nuanced performance as King Mongkut, noting his presence, chemistry with co-star Deborah Kerr, and well-deserved Best Actor Academy Award. The role capsized Brynner to stardom and remains one of his most iconic.

Was Yul Brynner really bald?

Yes, Yul Brynner was indeed bald and famously shaved his entire head for the duration of his acting career. However, it was the role of King Mongkut in “The King and I” that inspired him to adopt his signature hairless look.

Interestingly, Brynner’s baldness originated from his actual hair loss. While playing King Mongkut on Broadway in 1951, Brynner was wearing an uncomfortable bald cap to cover his thinning hair. He decided to shave his head completely to best inhabit the role.

The striking bald appearance not only freed Brynner from the uncomfortable bald caps, but perfectly suited King Mongkut’s commanding royal persona. Audiences and critics reacted so positively to the look that Brynner then shaved his head for the remainder of his career, becoming one of the first mainstream actors to consistently appear bald.

So while expedient, his baldness did align with his natural hair loss, and the King Mongkut role cemented his famous hairless, yet quite regal visage.

Was Yul Brynner Russian?

While often assumed to be Russian due to his birth name of Yuliy Borisovich Briner, Yul Brynner actually did not have Russian ancestry himself. He was born in 1920 on Sakhalin Island, which was located near Russia’s eastern border but was not technically part of the nation.

Brynner was ethnically of partial Swiss-German and partial Russian-Buryat origins, with the Buryat people being a Mongolian tribe residing in parts of Russian and Eastern Siberia. His father did have some Russian lineage while his mother was half-Russian and half-Buryat.

So while sometimes identified as Russian, Brynner’s Swiss-German-Buryat Mongolian ancestry reflects the complex ethnic makeup common in Eastern regions near the Russia/Siberia border. It was these exotic origins that contributed to his ambiguous yet striking visage which served him so effectively on screen.

Was Yul Brynner fluent in Russian?

Yes, thanks in large part to his partially Russian ancestry and early travels, Yul Brynner did become fluent in the Russian language.

Growing up speaking Russian and French in his hometown near the Russian border, Brynner gained early familiarity with the Russian tongue. During his years as a wandering vagabond in the 1930s Brynner honed his Russian skills.

Later in life while working as an actor in America, Brynner strengthened his Russian through self-study by reading Russian classics in their native language. On occasional trips back to Europe he was able to converse fluently with Russian speakers he encountered.

So while not a native language, his multilingual upbringing combined with diligent study left Brynner conversant and able to use Russian confidently in professional and informal situations.

Who was Yul Brynner’s father?

Yul Brynner’s father was Boris Yuliyevich Bryner, a mining engineer of part Swiss and part Russian origins. The elder Bryner worked for a mining company on Sakhalin Island off the eastern coast of Russia, where Yul was born in 1920. Not much is known about Boris Bryner as he abandoned the family when Yul was very young.

Yul Brynner’s early childhood lacked stability as he was shuffled between various family members in Manchuria and Paris after being abandoned by his father. Some key notes on Boris Bryner, Yul’s father:

• Nationality: Swiss with some Russian heritage
• Profession: Mining engineer overseeing coal mines
• Marital Status: Married Yul’s mother, Marousia Dimitrievna (née Blagovidova), in 1918
• Departure: Abandoned wife and young Yul in the mid 1920s, leaving them in poverty

So while his father’s departure caused instability for the family, it did pave the way for Yul’s unconventional path to later fame and presumably informed his fierce independent streak.

Conclusion

In summary, while iconic actor Yul Brynner did not formally attend college, his unique life path and self-directed education in some ways served him better in cultivating the exotic yet commanding persona that brought him such success on stage and screen.

A European upbringing, stint in the circus, and transcontinental travels as a Depression-era drifter all combined to provide priceless life experience. This adventurous spirit and personal magnetism led to acting roles like the unforgettable King Mongkut, which cemented Brynner’s enduring cultural legacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Yul Brynner attend any college at all?

No, Yul Brynner did not officially enroll in or attend a traditional 4-year college. He did study part-time at the Sorbonne University in Paris from 1932-1934 where he took some philosophy and math classes. However, he did not earn a degree during these years.

What formal education did Yul Brynner have?

Yul Brynner’s formal education was sporadic as a child due to his unstable upbringing. He attended primary school while living in Manchuria up until age 8 when his mother moved to Paris in the late 1920s. In Paris he attended a gymnasium school until dropping out at 16 to join the circus. So his formal education stopped after primary school.

Was Yul Brynner educated?

Yes, although Yul Brynner did not have formal schooling beyond primary grades, he was quite educated. He studied independently by voraciously reading classic works while a vagabond and learned skills like acrobatics, guitar, singing, and acting during his years in the theater. So while unorthodox, his real-world experiences provided a unique, well-rounded education.

Where was Yul Brynner originally from?

Yul Brynner was born on Sakhalin Island, located just north of Japan near Russia’s Pacific coastline. Though technically part of Russia at the time, the island had an ethnically diverse population including Brynner’s partial Swiss-German, partial Buryat Mongolian ancestry. So Brynner hailed from Russia’s Far East borderlands.

What nationality was Yul Brynner?

Yul Brynner was not fully Russian, but rather had mixed nationality ancestry. On his father’s side he had Swiss-German heritage and on his mother’s side he was part ethnic Buryat, a Mongolian people from the region of Russian Siberia near Lake Baikal. So Swiss-German-Buryat Mongolian backgrounds mixed to create his unique pan-Eurasian lineage.