<P> Leonidas Frank `` Lon '' Chaney ( April 1 , 1883 -- August 26 , 1930 ) was an American stage and film actor , make - up artist , director and screenwriter . He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of early cinema , renowned for his characterizations of tortured , often grotesque and afflicted characters , and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup . Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame ( 1923 ) and The Phantom of the Opera ( 1925 ) . His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques he developed earned him the nickname `` The Man of a Thousand Faces '' . </P>
<P> Leonidas Frank `` Lon '' Chaney ( April 1 , 1883 -- August 26 , 1930 ) was an American stage and film actor , make - up artist , director and screenwriter . He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of early cinema , renowned for his characterizations of tortured , often grotesque and afflicted characters , and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup . Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame ( 1923 ) and The Phantom of the Opera ( 1925 ) . His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques he developed earned him the nickname `` The Man of a Thousand Faces '' . </P>
who was known as the man of a thousand faces
who was known as the man of a thousand faces
Leonidas Frank `` Lon '' Chaney
Leonidas Frank `` Lon '' Chaney