Laird Cregar
Laird Cregar | |
|---|---|
Cregar in the 1940s | |
| Born | Samuel Laird Cregar July 28, 1913 |
| Died | December 9, 1944 (aged 31) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1938–1944 |
Samuel Laird Cregar (known professionally as Laird Cregar, July 28, 1913 – December 9, 1944) was an American stage and film actor. Cregar was best known for his villainous performances in films such as I Wake Up Screaming (1941), This Gun For Hire (1942) and The Lodger (1944).
Cregar's screen career began in 1940 with small uncredited roles in films. By 1941, he had signed a film contract with 20th Century Fox. Cregar quickly rose to stardom, appearing in a variety of genres from film noir to screwball comedy to horror movies. He was a popular actor at the time of his death in 1944 at age 31, a result of complications from binge dieting undertaken to suit him for leading man roles.