Joseph Merrick had nothing to do with The Elephant Man movie.
Joseph Carey Merrick ( 5 August 1862 -- 11 April 1890 ; often incorrectly called John Merrick ) was an English man with very severe deformities who was first exhibited at a freak show as the `` Elephant Man '' , and then went to live at the London Hospital after he met Frederick Treves , so becoming well known in London society . Meanwhile , in 1979 , Bernard Pomerance 's play about Merrick called The Elephant Man debuted , and David Lynch 's film , also called The Elephant Man , was released in 1980 . The Elephant Man is a 1980 American historical drama film about Joseph Merrick ( whom the script calls John Merrick ) , a severely deformed man in late 19th century London .