Stan Laurel: The Brit, the Skinny Guy
Let’s begin with the early life of Stan Laurel. He was born on June 16, 1890, as Arthur Stanley Jefferson, in England, to a family of performers. His father, Arthur Joseph Jefferson, owned a theater in northern England and Scotland. He and his wife were a major force in the theatre industry. In 1905, one month short of his 16th birthday, Laurel made his stage debut in a Glasgow hall called the Britannia Panopticon.
Stan Laurel, 1927. Photo By Kobal/Shutterstock
Laurel’s father got him his first acting job with a juvenile theatrical company that specialized in Christmas pantomimes. In 1909, Laurel was taken under the wing of Britain’s leading comedy producer, Fred Karno. Laurel became a supporting actor and understudy for the one and only Charlie Chaplin.