Victor Varconi

Career overview

Victor Varconi was born Mihály Várkonyi on March 31, 1891, in Kisvárda, Austria-Hungary. He was born into a farming family on the Hungarian/Rumanian border, and after training at Budapest's commercial college and dramatic school, his career initially thrived on the Transylvanian stage. He achieved great success as a silent film actor in his native country, as well as in Germany and Austria, before relocating to the United States. He was noted as the first Hungarian actor to make a film in the United States.

In Hollywood, Varconi worked under contract to Cecil B. DeMille and played Pontius Pilate in DeMille's 1927 production of The King of Kings. He also appeared in other works such as The Divine Lady. His normal speaking accent sounded almost exactly like that of Transylvanian Bela Lugosi.

With the advent of sound films, Varconi's popularity waned because of his accent, and he was subsequently cast in smaller parts, often playing Hispanic characters. He continued to appear in films throughout the sound era and also worked on the New York City stage and wrote for radio. He died from a heart attack in Santa Barbara on June 6, 1976, at the age of 85.