On this day, November 23, 1887, Boris Karloff was born.

[ChazInAz]

1. He was a wonderful person.

He was directly responsible for my acting career.In 1966 I had just gotten out of a wheelchair after an accident that left me with a permanent limp and the constant pain that still plagues me. I walked with a cane...still do. I had wanted to become an actor, but my parents strongly opposed the idea, and I couldn't see a way to accomplish that goal with mobility issues.
We were vacationing in California and visited the La Brea Tarpits.Mr Karloff came trundling down the path in a wheelchair, accompanied by friends and his daughter. (Robert Bloch was in the group, too!)
He said he was visiting old acquaintances there.
We had a long talk about theatre and hints on managing handicaps. His kindness to a sixteen-year-old fan boy moved me tremendously. His main advice was: "If you've got the fire in your belly, there's nothing that can stop you!"
Seven years ago, I played him in Randy Bowser's one man show KARLOFF. Boris' daughter Sarah came to see it, and remembered that kid from fifty years before. My entire career was due to his generous, kindly nature...and I still revere that old Anglo-Indian character actor.