Orson Welles was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin on May 6, 1915. He was as an actor, writer, director, and producer on radio, film, and television. He began his career on stage, directing and acting in plays under the Federal Theatre Project and then with his company Mercury Theatre. From 1938 to 1940, he wrote, directed, and acted in the Mercury Theatre of the Air, and as part of its programming, he broadcast H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds.

He co-wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the movie Citizen Kane. He was also the director of the movies The Magnificent Ambersons, The Lady from Shanghai, Touch of Evil, and Chimes at Midnight. In addition to playing major roles in some of these films, he also starred in The Third Man and appeared in Someone to Love. He received a Special Oscar in April 1971 for "superlative artistry and versatility" and a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute in 1975. He died on October 10, 1985 at the age of 70.

(Bowker Author Biography)