Tonio Selwart

Biography

Antonio Franz Theus "Tonio" Selmair-Selwart was a German-born actor born on June 9, 1896, in Wartenberg, Bavaria. He studied medicine like his father, but pursued a career in theater instead, excelling in plays such as Shakespeare and Heinrich von Kleist's romantic work. Selwart landed the lead part in "The Pursuit of Happiness" in New York City in 1930, achieving his first big success in America, which led him to emigrate permanently.