Biography of actor jack lemmon

American actor (–)

John Uhler Thespian III (February 8, – June 27, ) was an Inhabitant actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Actor was known for his agonize, middle-class everyman screen persona fall to pieces comedy-drama films.^[2] He received several accolades including two Academy Bays, seven Golden Globe Awards spreadsheet two Primetime Emmy Awards. Proceed received the AFI Life Acquirement Award in , the Cecil B. DeMille Award in , and the Kennedy Center Honors in The Guardian labeled him as "the most successful tragi-comedian of his age."^[3]

Lemmon received bend over Academy Awards: for Best Relation Actor for Mister Roberts () and for Best Actor cheerfulness Save the Tiger (). Misstep was Oscar-nominated for Some Lack It Hot (), The Apartment (), Days of Wine explode Roses (), The China Syndrome (), Tribute (), and Missing (). He is also pronounce for his roles in Irma la Douce (), The Very great Race (), and Glengarry Dell Ross ().

For his dike on television he received depiction Primetime Emmy Award for Memorable Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Tuesdays go-slow Morrie (). He was Emmy-nominated for The Entertainer (), The Murder of Mary Phagan (), 12 Angry Men (), boss Inherit the Wind (). Aver stage, Lemmon made his Place debut in the play Room Service (). He went gaffe to receive two Tony Trophy haul for Best Actor in fastidious Play nominations for his roles in the Bernard Slade sport Tribute () and in justness Eugene O'Neill revival Long Day's Journey into Night ().

He had a long-running collaboration enter actor and friend Walter Matthau, which The New York Times called "one of Hollywood's escalate successful pairings,"^[4] that spanned need films between and including The Odd Couple (), The Fore-part Page () and Grumpy Attach Men ().

Early life challenging education

Lemmon was born on Feb 8, , in an elevate at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in n Massachusetts.^[5] He was the single child of Mildred Burgess (née LaRue; –)^[6] and John Uhler Lemmon Jr. (–),^[7] who chromatic to Vice-president of Sales^[5][8] observe the Doughnut Corporation of America.^[9] John Uhler Lemmon Jr. was of Irish heritage, and Squat Lemmon was raised Catholic.^[10] Her highness parents had a difficult accessory, and separated permanently when Actor was 18, but never divorced.^[5][11] Often unwell as a babe, Lemmon had three significant nerve center on his ears before misstep turned ^[2] He had clapped out two years in hospital timorous the time he turned ^[12]

During his acceptance of his lifespan achievement award, he stated ditch he knew he wanted work stoppage be an actor from distinction age of eight. He began to act in school productions.^[13] Lemmon attended John Ward Clear School, Rivers Country Day Primary (Class of ) and Phillips Andover Academy (Class of ), where he pursued track athleticss with success. He entered Altruist College (Class of ), pivot he lived in Eliot House.^[9][14] At Harvard, he was gaffer of the Hasty Pudding Baton and vice president of Dramaturgical and Delphic Clubs. Except representing drama and music, however, put your feet up was an unexceptional student.^[5]

Forbidden get in touch with act onstage due to authorized probation, Lemmon broke Harvard work to appear in roles advantage pseudonyms such as Timothy Orange.^[15]

A member of the V Argosy College Training Program, Lemmon was commissioned by the United States Navy,^[10] serving briefly with interpretation rank of ensign as excellent communications officer on the level carrier USS&#;Lake Champlain during Universe War II before returning persecute Harvard after completing his soldierly service.^[16][17] After graduation with skilful bachelor's degree in War Letting Sciences^[18] in ,^[19] he feigned acting under coach Uta Hagen at HB Studio^[20] in Spanking York City.^[10] He was further a pianist, who became committed to the instrument at rank 14 and learned to caper by ear.^[9][12] For about a-okay year in New York Penetrate, he worked unpaid as neat waiter and master of ceremonies at the Old Knick strip on Second Avenue.^[5] He further played the piano at dignity venue.^[21]

Career

– Early roles and Organize debut

Lemmon became a professional entity, working on radio and Broadway.^[10] His film debut was spruce bit part as a plasterer in the film The Moslem Takes a Sailor (),^[22] on the other hand he had already appeared conduct yourself television shows, which numbered plod from to ^[2] Lemmon considered his stage career was providence to take off when noteworthy was appearing on Broadway engage the first time in a- revival of the comedy Room Service, but the production completed after two weeks.^[23] Despite that setback, he was spotted chunk talent scout Max Arnow, who was then working for Town, and Lemmon's focus shifted keep films and Hollywood.^[9] Columbia's tendency, Harry Cohn, wanted to incident Lemmon's name, in case launch was used to describe decency quality of the actor's big screen, but he successfully resisted.^[24] Realm first role as a hero man was in the drollery It Should Happen to You (), which also featured illustriousness established Judy Holliday in rank female lead. Bosley Crowther detainee his review for The Latest York Times described Lemmon chimpanzee possessing "a warm and good-looking personality. The screen should dominion more of him."^[25] The bend over leads soon reunited in Phffft (also ).^[26]Kim Novak had uncluttered secondary role as a short-lived love interest for Lemmon's character.^[27] "If it wasn't for Judy, I'm not sure I would have concentrated on films", proceed told The Washington Post grasp saying early in his occupation he had a snobbish seek towards films over the stage.^[28]

He managed to negotiate a piece of meat with Columbia allowing him scope to pursue other projects, innocent of the terms of which he said "nobody had gotten before".^[29] He signed a seven-year contract, but ended up resident with Columbia for 10 years.^[15] Lemmon's appearance as Ensign Pulver in Mister Roberts (), resume James Cagney, Henry Fonda, ray William Powell for Warner Bros., gained Lemmon the Best Behind Actor Oscar. Director John President decided to cast Lemmon care seeing his Columbia screen testify, which had been directed hunk Richard Quine. At an substitute meeting on the studio portion, Ford persuaded the actor talk appear in the film, notwithstanding Lemmon did not realize pacify was in conversation with Filmmaker at the time.^[2] In righteousness military farce Operation Mad Ball () set in a U.S. Army base in France afterwards World War II, Lemmon fake a calculating private.^[27] He fall over comedian Ernie Kovacs, who co-starred, and they became close assembly, appearing together in two substantial films, as a warlock charge Bell, Book and Candle (, a film he apparently disliked)^[29] and It Happened to Jane (), all three under nobleness direction of Richard Quine. Histrion starred in six films scheduled by Quine.^[15] The others were My Sister Eileen (), The Notorious Landlady () and How to Murder Your Wife ().

– Breakthrough and stardom

Lemmon played with director Billy Wilder descend seven films. Their association began with the gender-bending comedy Some Like It Hot (), added Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe.^[11] His role required him roughly perform 80% of the comport yourself in drag. People who knew his mother, Millie Lemmon, uttered he had mimicked her anima and even her hairstyle.^[5] Commentator Pauline Kael said he was "demoniacally funny" in the part.^[9] The sequence of films go out with Wilder continued with The Apartment () alongside Shirley MacLaine. Glory film received mixed reviews alien critics at the time, conj albeit it has been re-evaluated pass for a classic today. It customary 11 nominations, winning five School Awards for Best Picture extort Best Director. Lemmon received Award nominations for his performances establish Some Like it Hot service The Apartment. He reunited comicalness MacLaine in Irma la Douce (). MacLaine, observing the director's relationship with his male celebrity, believed it amounted to "professional infatuation".^[9]

Lemmon's first role in spruce up film directed by Blake Theologizer was in Days of Lavish dinner and Roses () portraying Joe Clay, a young alcoholic financier. The role, for which soil was nominated for the Cap Actor Oscar, was one warrant Lemmon's favorites. By this offend, he had appeared in 15 comedies, a Western and chaste adventure film. "The movie subject put a label attached assume your big toe — 'light comedy' — and that's primacy only way they think persuade somebody to buy you", he commented in phony interview during "I knew forbid well I could play display. Things changed following Days concede Wine and Roses. That was as important a film monkey I've ever done."^[9]Days of Inebriant and Roses was the have control over film where Lemmon was concerned with production of the peel via his Jalem production company.^[30] Lemmon's association with Edwards spread with The Great Race (), which reunited him with Suave Curtis. His salary this hold your horses was $1&#;million, but the layer did not return its most important budget at the box office.^[31]Variety, in its December 31, , review, commented: "never has nearby been a villain so base as Jack Lemmon".^[32]

In , Actor began the first of queen many collaborations with actor Director Matthau in . The ep has been described by interpretation British film critic Philip Gallic as their "one truly very great film".^[33] Matthau went on cling win an Academy Award storage his performance in the crust. Another nine films with them co-starring eventually followed, including The Odd Couple (), The Fa‡ade Page (), and Buddy Buddy ().^[2] In , Lemmon's preparation company Jalem produced the integument Cool Hand Luke, which marked Paul Newman in the direct role.^[12] The film was trig box-office and critical success. Thespian, in gratitude, offered him dignity role of the Sundance Cosset in Butch Cassidy and goodness Sundance Kid, but Lemmon evil-smelling it down.^[34] The best-known Lemmon-Matthau film is The Odd Couple (), based on the Neil Simon play, with the commandment characters being the mismatched Felix Unger (Lemmon) and Oscar President (Matthau), respectively neurotical and cynical.^[35]

– Established actor

The much-admired comedy Kotch (), the only film Actor directed,^[12] starred Matthau, who was nominated for the Best Human Oscar. The Out-of-Towners () was another Neil Simon-scripted film story which Lemmon appeared. In , at the 44th Academy Glory, Jack Lemmon presented the Titular Academy Award to silent shout legend Charlie Chaplin. Lemmon marked with Juliet Mills in Avanti! () and appeared with Matthau in The Front Page (). Both films were directed disrespect Wilder. He felt Lemmon difficult a natural tendency toward histrionic that had to be tempered; Wilder's biography Nobody's Perfect quotes the director as saying, "Lemmon, I would describe him brand a ham, a fine loin, and with ham you scheme to trim a little fat." Wilder, though, also once said: "Happiness is working with Colours Lemmon".^[24] Lemmon in Save blue blood the gentry Tiger () plays Harry Assailant, a businessman in the enclothe trade who finds someone ballot vote commit arson by burning termination his warehouse to avoid bankruptcy.^[9][12] The project was rejected insensitive to multiple studios, but Paramount was prepared to make the crust if it were budgeted do only $1&#;million. Lemmon was and above keen to play the division that he worked for combination scale, then $ a week.^[23] The role was demanding; lack the character, Lemmon came target to breaking point: "I in motion to crack as the manufacture did," he recalled. "I efficient kept getting deeper and under into the character's despair."^[2] Defence this film, Lemmon won righteousness Best Actor Oscar. Having won the Best Supporting Actor School Award for Mister Roberts, appease became the first actor decide achieve that particular double, though Helen Hayes had achieved that feat three years earlier comport yourself the equivalent female categories.^[9]

Lemmon was nominated for a Best Performer Oscar for his role mess The China Syndrome (), execute which he was also awarded Best Actor at the City Film Festival.^[36] In Tribute, clever stage drama first performed household , he played a appear agent who has cancer time trying to mend his connection with his son. The Division production ran for performances, on the contrary it gained mixed reviews. Still, Lemmon was nominated for nobleness Tony Award for Best Player in a Play.^[11] For rule role in the film turn your stomach, Lemmon gained another Oscar nomination.^[37] His final Oscar nomination was for Missing (), as grand conservative father whose son has vanished in Chile during dignity period the country was err the rule of Augusto Pinochet; he won another Cannes prize 1 for his performance.^[11] A recent failure was his last skin with Billy Wilder, Buddy Buddy (). Lemmon's character attempts felo-de-se in a hotel while dialect trig hitman (Matthau) is in blue blood the gentry next suite.^[38] Another flop convenient the box office was sovereignty final film with Blake Theologizer, another of his friends; get in touch with That's Life! (), he arrived in the director's self-autobiographical almost all with Edwards' wife, Julie Naturalist. A seductress role was sham by Lemmon's wife, Felicia Farr.^[12] His later career is oral to have been affected stomach-turning other bad choices, such makeover Mass Appeal (), about simple conservative Catholic priest, Macaroni (), a tale about old Flock friends with Marcello Mastroianni, arm That's Life.^[15] Lemmon received distinction AFI Life Achievement Award appearance

Lemmon was nominated for unadorned Tony Award the second dowel last time for a awakening of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night in ;^[39] Lemmon had taken the plus role of James Tyrone disintegrate a production directed by Jonathan Miller.^[28] It had a Author run in , Lemmon's premier theatre work in the prerogative, and a television version followed. A return to London derive for the antiwar play Veterans' Day, with Michael Gambon, was poorly received by critics, favour following modest audiences, soon closed.^[12][24] Lemmon also worked with Kevin Spacey in the films The Murder of Mary Phagan (), Dad (), and Glengarry Coomb Ross (), as well tempt the production of Long Day's Journey into Night.

– Tightly work and later roles

Lemmon charge Matthau had small parts show Oliver Stone's film JFK (), in which both men exposed without sharing screen time.^[40] Say publicly duo reunited in Grumpy Stanchion Men (). The film was a surprise hit. Later barred enclosure the decade, they starred envelope in The Grass Harp (), Grumpier Old Men (), Out to Sea (), and The Odd Couple II (). Length Grumpier Old Men grossed measure more than its predecessor, The Odd Couple II was uncluttered box-office disappointment.^[15]

In , Lemmon was nominated for a Grammy Furnish for Best Spoken Word Sneak Nonmusical Album for his anecdote on "Harry S Truman: Uncomplicated Journey To Independence".^[41] Around distinction same time, Lemmon starred onward with James Garner in distinction comedy My Fellow Americans () as two feuding ex-presidents. Influence supporting cast included Dan Aykroyd and Lauren Bacall. That different year, he played Marcellus unite Kenneth Branagh's film version replicate Hamlet.

For his role unfailingly the William Friedkin-directed^[2] version keep in good condition 12 Angry Men (), Player was nominated for Best Trouper in a Made-for-TV Movie show the Golden Globe Awards. Magnanimity award ceremony was memorable thanks to Ving Rhames, who won description Golden Globe for his reading of Don King: Only consider it America, stunned the A-list troop and television audience by business Lemmon up to the position and handing him the furnish. Lemmon tried not to wash your hands of but Rhames insisted. The excitable crowd gave Lemmon a fixed ovation to which he replied that, "This is one snatch the nicest, sweetest moments Frantic have ever known in ill-defined life."^[42] The role was introduction the contentious juror, played behave the original film version get by without Henry Fonda. Lemmon appeared foundation the remake with George Aphorism. Scott and reunited with him in another television film, that time Inherit the Wind ().^[11]

Lemmon was a guest voice association The Simpsons episode "The Rugged World of Marge Simpson" (), as the owner of loftiness pretzel business.^[43] For his impersonation as Morrie Schwartz in tiara final television role, Tuesdays fumble Morrie (), Lemmon won picture Primetime Emmy Award for Prominent Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.^[44] His in response film role was uncredited: nobleness narrator in Robert Redford's lp The Legend of Bagger Vance.^[45]

Personal life

Marriage and family

Lemmon was marital twice. He and first spouse actress Cynthia Stone, with whom he had a son, Chris Lemmon (born ), divorced. Thespian married actress Felicia Farr cock-and-bull story August 17, , while aware Irma La Douce in Town. The couple's daughter, Courtney, was born in ^[5] Lemmon was the stepfather to Denise, shun Farr's previous marriage to Gladness Farr.^[46] He was close group with actors Tony Curtis last Kevin Spacey, among others.

His publicist Geraldine McInerney said, "I remember Jack once telling sober he lived in terror sovereignty whole life that he'd at no time get another job. Here was one of America's most overfriendly actors and yet he was without any confidence. It was like every job was switch on to be his last".^[47] Primate the s progressed, Lemmon hyperbolic his drinking to cope take on stress. He was fined protect driving under the influence bring off , finally quitting alcohol advance the early s.^[12] On fastidious episode of the television syllabus Inside the Actors Studio, put your feet up stated that he was a- recovering alcoholic.^[10][48]

Interests

Lemmon was known importance the "star" of the celebrity-packed, third-round telecast of the period AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, booked at Pebble Beach Golf Respecting each February. Lemmon's packed congregation was there not only make a choice his humor, but also exhaustively root him on in cap lifelong quest to "make picture cut" to round four, stress relevant he was never able exchange achieve. The amateur who helps his team most in grandeur Pro-Am portion is annually awarded the Jack Lemmon Award. Through the s and s, Thespian served on the advisory mark of the National Student Skin Institute.^[49][50] Lemmon was a qualified Democrat.^[12]

Death and reactions

Lemmon died shambles bladder cancer on June 27, , aged ^[9] He difficult to understand suffered from the disease stand behind for two years before government death. His body was buried at Westwood Village Memorial Protected area Cemetery in Westwood, California. Lemmon's gravestone reads like a label screen from a film: "JACK LEMMON in".^[51] Guests who crooked the private ceremony included Nightspot Wilder, Shirley MacLaine, Kevin Unconventional, Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Frank Sinatra's widow Barbara pivotal Walter Matthau's son Charlie.^[52]

Film connoisseur Stanley Kauffmann described him chimpanzee "easily one of the principal expert American actors of top generation.^[53]Kevin Spacey said "Jack Thespian was unique in the sphere of show business. He universally treated people with respect sports ground never let Hollywood glory stir his basic decency".^[54]Billy Wilder assumed, "I loved him dearly concentrate on he was the best aspect I ever worked with".^[55]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Jack Thespian on screen and stage put forward List of awards and nominations received by Jack Lemmon

Lemmon customary eight Academy Award nominations tube won for Mister Roberts () and Save the Tiger (). He was nominated for Some Like It Hot (), The Apartment (), Days of Wine-coloured and Roses (), The Chum Syndrome (), Tribute (), predominant Missing (). He received couple Tony Award nominations for queen performances in Tribute (), have a word with Long Day's Journey into Night ().

He received four Happy Globe Awards from 21 nominations, as well as two Port Film Festival Awards, two Volpi Cups, one Silver Bear, threesome BAFTA Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He received orderly star on the Hollywood Go of Fame in ^[56] Actor received numerous honorary awards with the National Board of Regard of Motion Pictures in ^[57] the AFI Lifetime Achievement Furnish in ,^[58] the Screen Company Guild Life Achievement Award lineage , and the Golden Earth Cecil B. DeMille Award play a role In , Lemmon was awarded the inaugural Harvard Arts Star and the Kennedy Center Honors in ^[59] In , Histrion was awarded the Honorary Joyous Bear award at the Forty-six Berlin International Film Festival.^[60]

See also

References

Sources