Cecil Holland

Biography

Father of Meg Sargent, portrait artist and actress. Cecil Claude Holland was born in Gravesend-On-Thames, England, son of Richard Henry Holland, an English sea captain. At the age of sixteen he sailed from England to Vancouver, B.C., where he disembarked and began a new life in the Americas. He helped with the reconstruction of San Francisco after the earthquake of 1906. Holland performed as an actor in touring companies and eventually wound up in Hollywood around 1915. Volunteered for the U.S. Army during World War I, serving in France, and was granted U.S. citizenship as a result. Being an expert in applying his own character make-up, Holland started doing make-up for other actors in the films in which he appeared, eventually leaving acting in favor of full-time make-up. He was the first head of the make-up department at MGM. Described in the Los Angeles Times as "The Man Of A Thousand Faces", due to his ability to transform himself into many disparate characters. Ultimately this moniker was inherited by his friend Lon Chaney. Was quite adept at construction, building a self-designed glider and an automobile. Proficient oil painter, wood carver, sculptor and stage magician. Strong ability as a mimic of various English and American accents. Lived in the Beverly Hills and Van Nuys sections of Los Angeles.