Guyanese-American performer, Prince Randian was also called the Human Caterpillar. He was famous for his ability to roll cigarettes with his lips. He was born without arms or legs but gained fame through the feats he performed in the early 1900s.
Prince Randian was married to a Hindu woman known as Princess Sarah and they had about children: Richard, Mary, Elizabeth, and Wilhelmina. He lived with his family in New Jersey until his death on December 19, 1934. Randian died of a heart attack which he suffered shortly after his last performance at Sam Wagner’s 14th Street Museum in New York.
Prince Randian’s Biography
Prince Randian was born in British Guyana in 1871. Not much is known about his early life, especially his birth name. He was known to have suffered from tetra-amelia syndrome, an autosomal congenital disorder that results in babies being born without limbs.
According to reports, he developed upper body strength by working on a farm with his Indian-born parents.
He was Hindu hence he spoke Hindi. He was also fluent in English, French, and German.
His Wife and Children
The renowned performer married a Hindu woman known as Princess Sarah before he began his career. While some sources say they had five children, others like All Interesting claimed he had only four children, three daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, and Wilhelmina, and a son, Richard.
Prince Randian and his family once lived at Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas. When he moved to the U.S., his whole family, followed him. Reports say at the end of the 19th century, the family settled in a neighborhood in Plainfield, New Jersey.
The performer was under three feet tall.
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The Life of the Amazing Performer
The limbless sideshow performer of the early 1900s was brought to the United States by P.T. Barnum in 1889 at the age of 18 and began to perform sideshows.
Despite his condition, he taught himself how to roll a cigarette using just his mouth and then light the cigarette with a match. He would hold both match and the cigarette between his teeth and then strike the match. This act would later become his most famous act.
However, the act was just one of the many things Prince Randian could do. He also taught himself to paint and write by holding the brush or pen between his teeth and using his lips to handle it.
Another impressive and odd act was his ability to shave his face using a wooden block and a well-secured razor. He would shave by moving his face and not the razor. By so doing, he kept his face in good condition.
All the tools he uses-the razor, block, paintbrushes, and cigarette materials, were kept in a wooden box that he constructed.
Before he performed any act, Prince Randian would wear a one-piece wool garment that made him looked like a caterpillar or snake, and while on stage, he would move himself around the stage by wiggling his hips and shoulders.
The British-Guyananese performer traveled around the country to museums, dime shows, carnivals, and several other shows showcasing his abilities.
Aside from performing on stage, the Human Caterpillar was featured in the 1932 MGM movie, Freaks. In the movie, he was seen lighting up a cigarette with a match and rolling for less than a minute.
Prince Randian Died in 1934
Following a 45-year stint in entertainment, Prince Radian retired from the circus and lived in New Jersey with his family working on a farm.
He died on December 19, 1934, a few hours after his performance at Sam Wagner’s 14th Street Museum in New York. The performer died at the age of 63 as a result of a heart attack.
