Stan Laurel Biography: Death, Age, Wife, Children, Movies, Career, Height, Parents

Arthur Stanley Jefferson, known professionally as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer, and director whose timeless partnership with Oliver Hardy revolutionized silent and sound comedy through over 100 films that blended slapstick genius with heartfelt simplicity.

He honed his craft on British music hall stages before crossing to America in 1910 with Fred Karno’s troupe alongside a young Charlie Chaplin, eventually landing at Hal Roach Studios.

Laurel’s breakthrough came directing and starring in early shorts like “Mandarin Mix-Up” before teaming with Hardy in “Putting Pants on Philip” (1927), launching a golden era of two-reelers such as “The Battle of the Century,” “Two Tars,” and “Big Business” that mastered visual gags and character interplay.

Profile

• Full Name: Arthur Stanley Jefferson
• Stage Name: Stan Laurel
• Born: June 16, 1890
• Died: February 23, 1965
• Age: 135 years old
• Birthplace: Ulverston, United Kingdom
• Nationality: English
• Occupation: Comic Actor, Director, Writer
• Height: 1.70m
• Parents: Arthur J. Jefferson, Margaret Jefferson
• Siblings: Olga Laurel
• Spouse: Lois Neilson (m. 1926-1934), Virginia Ruth Rogers (m. 1941-1946), Ida Kitaeva Raphael (m. 1946-1965)
• Girlfriends: Mae Dahlberg
• Children: Lois Laurel, Stanley Robert Laurel
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $1 million

Early Life and Education

Arthur Stanley Jefferson was born on June 16, 1890 in Ulverston, United Kingdom, to theater manager Arthur J. Jefferson and performer Margaret Jefferson, with sister Olga Laurel sharing family spotlights.

He toured British stages from age seven, debuting professionally at 16 in his father’s productions before skipping formal higher education for music hall circuits.

A brief Australian stint with parents sharpened his comedic timing amid theatrical roots. He is of English heritage, and his religion is not publicly known.

Career

Stan Laurel stepped into show business young, joining Fred Karno’s troupe in 1910 for a U.S. tour that stranded him stateside after Chaplin left, leading to early silent shorts like “Nuts in May” (1917).

He signed with Joe Rock for 12 two-reelers in 1924, directing and starring in gems like “West of Hot Dog” and “Monsieur Don’t Care” before shifting to Hal Roach as writer-director.

An accident paired him with Oliver Hardy in “Yes, Yes, Nanette!” (1925), evolving into their billed duo debut “Putting Pants on Philip” (1927).

Hal Roach unleashed a torrent of shorts: “The Battle of the Century” (1927) with its epic pie fight, “Two Tars” (1928), “Be Big!” (1930), and talkie pioneer “Unaccustomed As We Are” (1929).

Laurel scripted most routines, perfecting the thin bumbler versus fat straight-man dynamic that hooked global audiences through meticulous retakes.

Laurel and Hardy conquered features at Roach with “Pardon Us” (1931), their first full-length, followed by “Pack Up Your Troubles” (1932), “The Music Box” (1932) Oscar winner, “Sons of the Desert” (1933), and “Way Out West” (1937) famed for dancing.

They navigated the sound era seamlessly, blending physical comedy with songs like “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine.”

Post-Roach, 20th Century Fox contracts yielded “Great Guns” (1941) and “The Dancing Masters” (1943), then MGM’s “A Chump at Oxford” (1940) and “Saps at Sea” (1940) despite Laurel’s stalled creative control.

European tours and “Atoll K” (1951) abroad kept them active amid U.S. studio woes. Laurel’s perfectionism shaped 100-plus films, earning top double-act status in polls.

Stan Laurel retired from films after “The Bullfighters” (1945) but dazzled in stage revues across Europe and Britain into the 1950s, drawing sellout crowds with Hardy until the partner’s 1957 death.

He garnered a 1961 Academy Honorary Award presented by Danny Kaye for comedy pioneering, answered fan mail till the end from his Santa Monica flat, and inspired tributes like Ulverston’s bronze statue.

His 190-film legacy, Hollywood Walk of Fame star, and ranking as Britain’s top comedian endure through restorations and revivals that showcase slapstick’s blueprint.

Social Media

Stan Laurel does not have a social media account

Personal Life

Stan Laurel shared early years with partner Mae Dahlberg before marrying Lois Neilson in 1926, fathering Lois Laurel, then Virginia Ruth Rogers in 1941 with son Stanley Robert Laurel, and Ida Kitaeva Raphael from 1946 until his death.

Grandchild Rand Brooks Jr. extended family ties amid multiple unions marked by Hollywood turbulence. He cherished fan letters and quiet Santa Monica days post-retirement, balancing comedy legend status with private joys.

Filmography

• Putting Pants on Philip (1927)
• The Battle of the Century (1927)
• Unaccustomed As We Are (1929)
• The Music Box (1932)
• Way Out West (1937)
• A Chump at Oxford (1940)
• Saps at Sea (1940)

Net Worth

Stan Laurel has an estimated net worth of $1 million at his passing. Royalties from Laurel and Hardy classics like “The Music Box” and “Way Out West,” plus stage tours and Hal Roach shorts, built his fortune alongside residuals from nearly 190 films that sustained legacy earnings.