Origins & Early Life

Walter Thomas Huston ( HEW-stən; April 6, 1883 or 1884 – April 7, 1950) was a Canadian and American (by naturalization) actor and singer. Huston won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, directed by his son John Huston. He is the patriarch of the four generations of the Huston acting family, including his son John, grandchildren Anjelica Huston and Danny Huston, as well as great-grandchild Jack Huston. Huston was born on April 6, 1883, in Toronto, Ontario, where he attended Winchester Street Public School.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was the son of Elizabeth (née McGibbon) and Robert Moore Huston, a farmer who founded a construction company. He was of Scottish and Irish descent. He had a brother and two sisters, one of whom was the theatrical voice coach Margaret Carrington (1877–1941). His family moved, before his birth, from Melville, just south of Orangeville, Ontario, where they were farmers. As a young man, he worked in construction and in his spare time attended the Shaw School of Acting.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He made his stage debut in 1902. He went on to tour in In Convict Stripes, a play by Hal Reid, father of Wallace Reid, and also appeared with...

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