Wallace Beery Biography

Wallace Beery was an Academy Award winning American actor best known for his role in ‘The Champ.’ His portrayal of Long John Silver in ‘Treasure Island’ and Pancho Villa in ‘Viva Villa!’ are also memorable ones. A prolific performer, he appeared in around 250 movies over an extensive career that spanned 36 years. The son of a police officer, he developed an interest in acting as a young boy. He went to Chase School in Kansas City but had little interest in academics. Bored of his routine life, he left home in search of adventure when he was a teenager. He found work as an assistant elephant trainer in the Ringling Brothers Circus, a job he stayed at for two years. He then moved on to experience newer adventures and began singing in New York musical variety shows. Blessed with a pleasant voice, he found considerable success in comic opera as a baritone. The stage soon led to films, and the advent of the talkies provided him considerable opportunities to showcase his good acting skills and powerful voice. Though capable of playing a variety of roles, he became more famous for his comedic performances in his later years, especially with Marie Dressler as his co-star.