**Harry Earles** (born Kurt Schneider, 1902-1985) was a German-American actor, known for his diminutive stature, which profoundly influenced his film career.

His screen presence is inextricably linked to the role of Hans, the lovestruck circus dwarf, in Tod Browning's controversial cult film, *Freaks* (1932). This performance established him as an icon of horror cinema and the grotesque.

Previously, Earles had already worked with Browning and Lon Chaney in *The Unholy Three* (1925), where he played a dwarf disguised as an infant, a role he reprised in the 1930 sound version as well. His small stature was the focal point of his characters, who often depicted him as a circus performer or a "freak show exhibit." Despite the limitations imposed by his condition, Earles brought considerable dignity and complexity to his characters, transcending the mere stereotype of the "freak" and demonstrating remarkable dramatic abilities.