Yul Brynner’s reputation as one of the twentieth century’s most charismatic and versatile actors is irrefutable. But his talent as a photographer has been relatively unknown and unacknowledged. YUL will change that, presenting Brynner’s photographic oeuvre for the first time in a comprehensive and lavish way in book form.
Brynner’s subjects are some of the pivotal figures of cinematic and stage history, and his talent lies in capturing these people and particularly actors (those best at disguising their true selves) at ease, both on and off set: Charlton Heston as Moses in The Ten Commandments, Audrey Hepburn in a gondola in Venice, Elizabeth Taylor relaxing poolside. YUL also contains candid shots of Brynner’s family.
Comprising a selection made from 8,000 images and press cuttings edited by Brynner’s daughter Victoria Brynner, YUL is divided into four volumes: “Lifestyle”, “Life on Set”, “1956” (the pivotal year of The King and I,The Ten Commandments and Anastasia), and “Man of Style” which contains portraits of Brynner by photographers such as Richard Avedon, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Inge Morath. Published on the twenty-fifth anniversary of Brynner’s death, YUL is a celebration of Brynner’s photographic legacy and a complex portrait of the man himself.