Laughton, LAW tuhn, Charles (1899-1962), was an English-born actor who won fame for his strong character roles. Laughton made his stage debut in London in 1926. He made his film debut in England in 1929 and in the United States in 1932. Laughton won the Academy Award for best actor for The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933). His most celebrated performances came in The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934), Ruggles of Red Gap (1935), Les Miserables (1935), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Rembrandt (1936), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), The Suspect (1945), Hobson's Choice (1954), and Witness for the Prosecution (1958). Laughton directed one movie, the allegorical suspense drama The Night of the Hunter (1955). Laughton was born on July 1, 1899, in Scarborough. He became a U.S. citizen in 1950. He died on Dec. 15, 1962.