Who played Frankenstein’s monster in James Whale’s 1931 horror film Frankenstein?

Boris Karloff played Frankenstein’s monster in James Whale’s 1931 horror film Frankenstein.

Karloff was billed in the film’s opening credits as “?” rather than by name, helping preserve the creature’s mystery for audiences. His performance, combined with Jack Pierce’s makeup design, established the flat-headed, neck-bolted image that became the dominant popular representation of Frankenstein’s monster.

The film was produced by Universal Pictures and stars Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein, a scientist who assembles a body from human remains and animates it. Mae Clarke plays Elizabeth, Frankenstein’s fiancée, while Dwight Frye appears as the assistant Fritz.

A common mix-up is calling the monster “Frankenstein.” Frankenstein is the scientist’s surname; the creature is generally referred to as Frankenstein’s monster or Frankenstein’s creature. Karloff returned as the monster in the 1935 sequel Bride of Frankenstein, also directed by James Whale.