One of the earliest stars of the horror genre is Leonidas Frank Chaney, better known as Lon Chaney, or “The Man of a Thousand Faces.” He was an American character actor, but also a make-up artist, director and screenwriter, born in 1883, and earned his nickname because of his remarkable skill in make-up and character change.
He was famous for various contributions to the horror industry. As an actor, he had a very expressive face and could tackle a wide range of roles. As a make-up artist, he was able to create the perception of many of the characters we currently imagine in traditional horror.
His son, Lon Chaney Jr. (1906-1973) carried on his father’s acting tradition when he became famous for playing Larry Talbot in the film The Wolf Man and its various crossovers. He also played Frankenstein’s monster in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), the Mummy in The Mummy’s Tomb (1942), Dracula in Son of Dracula (1943) and a handful of sequels to these films. “This made him the only actor to portray all four of Universal’s major horror characters: the Wolf Man, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Mummy, and Count Dracula” (Wikipedia) He later dabbled in comedy, but continued to find a niche in horror.
The father and son duo contributed so much to the early horror genre that today’s indie films with a similar theme owe the pair an incredible debt.