He claimed to have been born into a family of actors,[4] but in reality, both of his parents, Henri Pierre Buron and Clara (née Petersen), were hairdressers.

In 1924, he played Marcus Schouler in the silent film classic Greed directed by Erich von Stroheim.

A decade later, he co-starred with world-famous child actress Shirley Temple as her beloved grandfather living in the remote Alps in the 1937 film version of the classic 1880 children's book, Heidi, written by Swiss author Johanna Spyri.

Throughout his extensive film career, he portrayed a wide range of characters, from villains in early silent films to supporting roles where his gentle Danish language accent and pleasant voice made him well-suited to portray a succession of benevolent fathers, doctors, professors, and European noblemen.

Since he was a fan of fairy tale anthology author Hans Christian Andersen, he borrowed that name for his character portrayal.

On 7 November 1937, Dr. Christian debuted on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) radio network as part of the 'Vaseline Program' opening with the theme music, "Rainbow on the River."

The small-town physician's good humor, innate common sense, and scientific training helped drive off a series of villainous types attempting to disrupt the peaceful lifestyle of River's End.

The script for this new television program was written by a young Gene Roddenberry, who would later become famous for creating the original TV series 'Star Trek' in 1966.

This fund provides medical care and support for Hollywood industry employees at various levels, offering assistance when experiencing difficulties due to illness, old age, or other challenges.

The fund Hersholt supported was used to establish the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.

[10] Hersholt was appointed a knight of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog and awarded a medal in 1948, partly due to this literary academic endeavor.

[11] On August 31, 1952, the accomplished elder Hersholt appeared as the mystery guest on the popular long-running CBS-TV panel/quiz show What's My Line?

[12] Hersholt died of cancer in Hollywood in 1956 and is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.