**Tod Browning (1880-1962)** was an American film director and actor, known for his macabre and horror films. He began his career in the silent era, where he made several works with Lon Chaney, often set in circus or underworld contexts, including *The Unknown* (1927) and *He Who Gets Slapped* (1924).

His most famous film is *Dracula* (1931), starring Bela Lugosi, which defined the iconography of the cinematic vampire. This was followed by *Freaks* (1932), a controversial work that used real freak show performers to explore discrimination and true "monstrosity," profoundly impacting his career.

Browning was a master at creating dark atmospheres and addressing themes such as physical and moral deformity, revenge, and ambiguity, exploring the psychology of outcasts with a mixture of repulsion and, at times, empathy.