Samuel Laird Cregar (July 28, 1913 – December 9, 1944) was an American stage and film actor.[4] Cregar was best known for his villainous performances in films such as I Wake Up Screaming (1941) and The Lodger (1944).

Cregar's screen career began in 1940 working as an extra in films. By 1941, he had signed a film contract with 20th Century Fox. Cregar quickly rose to stardom, appearing in a variety of genres from screwball comedy to horror movies. He was a popular actor at the time of his death in 1944 at age 31, a result of complications from binge dieting undertaken to suit him for leading man roles.