Gaston Leroux (18681927) was a French writer best known for his novel The Phantom of the Opera. Born in Paris, Leroux initially worked as a critic and court reporter for the newspapers L'cho de Paris and Le Matin. In 1918 he formed a film company called the Socit des Cinromans. After quitting journalism to focus on writing fiction, Leroux went on to publish dozens of novels. He died at his home in Nice, France.