Actor cornel wilde biography 1940

Cornel Wilde (1912 – 1989)

Biography and Movie Career

Cornel Wilde was born Kornél Lajos Weisz on October 13, 1912, in Privigye, Hungary (now Prievidza, Slovakia).

He came from a Jewish family and moved with them to the United States when he was seven years old. His family settled in New York City, where Wilde quickly became immersed in American culture. Despite speaking no English when he first arrived, he was a quick learner and soon became fluent.

Wilde was not only intellectually gifted but also athletically talented.

Actor cornel wilde biography 1940

His early ambitions leaned toward the medical field, and he enrolled at Columbia University, where he studied pre-med. Along with his academic achievements, Wilde was a skilled fencer, a passion that would play a role in his career later on.

In fact, he was so accomplished in fencing that he qualified for the U.S. Olympic fencing team in 1936, though he ultimately chose to pursue acting over competing in the Olympics.

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