Person biography:
Louis Charles Hayward was born in South Africa and was brought to England for his education. He later developed his acting skills on the London stage and was quickly tapped by playwright Noël Coward, who became his patron. Hayward's early film career included British romances and dramas, before he moved to New York and Broadway in 1935 to star in "Point Verlaine".
Hayward's breakthrough role came in 1936 with Warner Bros.' "Anthony Adverse", where he played the dashing officer Denis Moore, rescuing his soon-to-be mother Maria from an arranged marriage. This role cemented his status as a romantic leading man and swashbuckler.
Throughout the 1930s, Hayward continued to play a variety of roles, including early "B"-tier efforts and the British Simon Templar character in "The Saint in New York". He also appeared in the stylish "The Man in the Iron Mask" and "The Son of Monte Cristo", although these films did not achieve the same level of success as Errol Flynn's swashbuckling adventures.
Hayward's career experienced a setback during World War II, when he served as a United States Marine combat photographer and earned a Bronze Star for his bravery. After the war, he returned to Hollywood and appeared in a number of films, including "And Then There Were None" and "The Black Arrow".
In the 1950s, Hayward's career began to slow down, and he turned to television production, producing and starring in the series "The Lone Wolf" and "The Pursuers". He continued to act in films and television until the mid-1970s, when he retired from the screen. Hayward died on February 21, 1985, at the age of 75, due to lung cancer.
