Roland Varno (born Jacob Frederik Vuerhard; March 15, 1908 – May 24, 1996) was a Dutch actor, who appeared mainly in German and American films.
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Early life
Varno was born Jacob Frederik Vuerhard in Utrecht in 1908. His father, Martin Fredrick Vuerhard, was a tea planter and his mother was a concert pianist. He spent much of his childhood in Java, then part of the Dutch East Indies.
After he graduated from college in Leiden, he traveled and continued to study dramatics. He worked in vaudeville, performing and designing scenery. For a time, Varno also supported himself as an illustrator for the newspaper Het Vaderland.
Varno was a polyglot fluent in at least seven languages: Dutch, English, German, Malay, Javanese, and Japanese.
Career
In the late 1920s, Varno moved to Germany, at the time the hub of filmmaking in continental Europe. He appeared in various German silent and early sound films, most notably a supporting role in The Blue Angel with Marlene Dietrich and Emil Jannings. He went to Hollywood after a talent scout for MGM saw him in a German film in 1931. According to his daughter, he missed out a role in All Quiet on the Western Front because his ship was delayed.
He appeared in dozens of films in the 1930s and 1940s. He only appeared in three Dutch-language films during his career: De sensatie der toekomst (1931), Malle Gevallen (1934), and Het Meisje met de Blauwe Hoed (also 1934). During World War II, Varno's skill with languages saw him serve in the Office of Strategic Services. He also appeared in many war-time propaganda films, typically as a Nazi German officer or soldier. After the war, Varno appeared on various TV series including Space Patrol, the Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok and 77 Sunset Strip.
After retiring from acting in 1959, Varno moved to Ajijic, Mexico, where he ran a theatre company.
Personal life
Varno was married to Elizabeth Alderson. They had two children, screenwriter and sound editor Martin Varno (known for writing the 1958 B-movie Night of the Blood Beast), and Marianna Jillian Varno.
Death
Varno died on May 24, 1996, in Lancaster, California.
