William Farnum Biography

William Farnum (July 4, 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts – June 5, 1953 in Hollywood, California) was a major movie actor. One of three brothers, Farnum grew up in a family of actors. He made his acting debut at the age of ten in Richmond, Virginia in a production of Julius Caesar, with Edwin Booth playing the title character. His first major success was as the title character of Ben-Hur in 1900 though replacing the original actor Edward Morgan who premiered the character in 1899. Later plays Farnum appeared in were the costume epic The Prince of India(1906), The White Sister(1909) starring Viola Allen, The Littlest Rebel(1911) co-starring his brother Dustin and a child actress named Mary Miles Minter(then nine years old) & Arizona(1913) with Dustin and stage beauty Elsie Ferguson.

From 1915 to 1925, Farnum devoted his life to motion pictures. When becoming one of the biggest sensations in Hollywood, he also became one of the highest-paid actors, earning $10,000 a week. Farnum's silent pictures the western Drag Harlan(1920) and the drama-adventure If I Were King(1921) survive from his years contracted to Fox Films.

Farnum has a "Star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was the younger brother of actor Dustin Farnum.