Arnold Vosloo

An actor who is best known for his role as the eponymous dead man with a grudge in 1999's The Mummy, Arnold Vosloo has been active in film since he immigrated to the U.S. from his native South Africa. Born the son of actors in Pretoria on June 16, 1962, Vosloo spent much of his childhood travelling South Africa with his parents. After leaving school, he went into the army and then spent two years with the Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal. Vosloo made a name for himself on the Pretoria stage, winning one of its most prestigious awards, the Dalro, and then set off for the U.S. Once there, he acted on the Chicago and New York stages, at one point performing alongside Al Pacino in the Circle in the Square's production of Salomé. Although Vosloo made his film debut in 1985, it was not until he starred in The Mummy that he gained any substantial measure of recognition. The film, which was one of 1999's summer hits, also starred Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah. Vosloo and his fellow cast members reprised their roles two years later for the film's sequel, the aptly-titled The Mummy Returns.

by Rebecca Flint Marx, AMG