Paul Muni was truly an actor's actor. Although he always protested that he didn't know what acting was, he threw himself into each role, changing his voice, his body and even his face. His penchant for hiding his good looks behind tons of make-up for each role won him the nickname "The New Lon Chaney," but it occasionally got on the nerves of his boss at Warner Bros., Jack Warner, who once complained, "Why are we paying him so much money when we can't even find him?" (Warner, quoted in Frank Miller, Leading Men.) Whatever Muni thought of his own talents, his peers were impressed. He was honored with five Oscar® nominations and a write in vote (when it was still allowed) that came close to winning. He won the award for The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936). He and James Dean are the only two actors to win Oscar® nominations for their first and last credited screen appearances.

He was best remembered for his Academy Award for Best Actor role as Louis Pasteur in "The Story of Louis Pasteur" (1936). His other film credits include "I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang" (1932), "Scarface" (1932), "The Life of Emil Zola" (1937), "The Good Earth" (1937), "Juarez" (1939), "Hudson's Bay" (1941), "Angel on My Shoulder" (1946) and "The Last Angry Man" (1959).