Born to deaf-mute parents, Leonidas Frank Chaney, skilled in pantomime, made his silent movie debut in 1912 and is chiefly remembered as a forerunner in such horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera. His ability to transform himself without sophisticated make-up techniques earned him the nickname of "Man of a Thousand Faces".
His son, Lon Chaney, Jr, was also known for his acting in horror movies.
On his passing, he was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California.