Boris Karloff's real name was William Henry Pratt. According to Wikipedia, "In contrast to the characters he played on screen, Karloff was known in real life as a very kind gentleman who gave generously, especially to children's charities." Also, "Despite his great performances in many classic horror movies, there's reason to think he never took such roles seriously. He once said, 'My wife is a woman of very great taste. That's why she's never seen any of my films.'"