Acting
Johnny Eck
Johnny Eck was born on August 27, 1911. Johnny Eck died on January 5, 1991 at the age of 79.
- Born
- August 27, 1911
- Place of birth
- Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Died
- January 5, 1991 (79 years old)
Biography
John Eckhardt Jr, (August 27, 1911 – January 5, 1991), professionally billed as Johnny Eck, was an American freak show performer in sideshows and a film actor. Born with sacral agenesis, Eck is best known today for his role in Tod Browning's 1932 cult classic film Freaks and his appearances as a bird creature in several Tarzan films. He was often billed as "The Amazing Half-Boy", "King of the Freaks" and "The Most Remarkable Man Alive".
Besides being a sideshow performer and actor, the multi-talented Eck was also a folk artist (specifically a screen painter), musician, photographer, illusionist, penny arcade owner, Punch and Judy operator, and expert model-maker. Description above from the Wikipedia article Johnny Eck, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Besides being a sideshow performer and actor, the multi-talented Eck was also a folk artist (specifically a screen painter), musician, photographer, illusionist, penny arcade owner, Punch and Judy operator, and expert model-maker. Description above from the Wikipedia article Johnny Eck, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
Frequently asked questions
When was Johnny Eck born?
Johnny Eck was born on August 27, 1911. (Baltimore, Maryland, USA)
How old is Johnny Eck?
Johnny Eck died on January 5, 1991 at the age of 79.
Updated: October 25, 2026 ·