name	Mickey Rooney
birth name	Joseph Yule, Jr.
birth date	September 23, 1920
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actor, comedian, vaudevillian
years active	1922–present
spouse
website	mickeyrooney.com }}

Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule, Jr., September 23, 1920) is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award. Working as a performer since he was a small child, he was a superstar as a teenager for the films in which he played Andy Hardy, and he has had one of the longest careers of any actor, to date spanning almost 90 years. He is the last surviving male star from 1930s Hollywood. For a younger generation of fans, he gained international fame for his leading role as Henry Dailey in The Family Channel's ''The Adventures of the Black Stallion'', as well as the film itself.

Early life

Rooney was born Joseph Yule, Jr. in Brooklyn, New York, to a vaudeville family. His father, Joseph Yule, was from Scotland, and his mother, Nellie W. (née Carter), was from Kansas City, Missouri. Both of his parents were in vaudeville, appearing in a Brooklyn production of ''A Gaiety Girl'' when Joseph, Jr. was born. He began performing at the age of 17 months as part of his parents' routine, wearing a specially tailored tuxedo.

When he was 14 months old, unbeknownst to everyone, he crawled on stage wearing overalls and a little harmonica around his neck. He sneezed and his father, Joe Sr., grabbed him up, introducing him to the audience as Sonny Yule. He felt the spotlight on him and has described it as his mother's womb. From that moment on, the stage was his home.

His father was a womanizer and heavy drinker, leaving the family when Joe Jr. was only three. While Joe Sr. was traveling, Joe Jr. and his mother moved from Brooklyn, New York to Kansas City, Missouri to live with his aunt. While his mother was reading the entertainment newspaper, Nellie was interested in getting Hal Roach to approach the young star to participate in the ''Our Gang'' series in Hollywood. Roach offered $5 a day to Joe Jr. while the other young stars were paid five times more.

As he was getting bit parts in films; he was working with other established film stars such as Joel McCrea, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Jean Harlow. While selling newspapers around the corner, he also entered into Hollywood Professional School, where he went to school with dozens of unfamiliar students such as: Joseph A. Wapner, Nanette Fabray, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, among many others, and later Hollywood High School, where he graduated in 1938.

Career

Mickey McGuire

The Yules separated in 1924 during a slump in vaudeville, and in 1925, Nell Yule moved with her son to Hollywood, California, where she managed a tourist home. Fontaine Fox had placed a newspaper ad for a dark-haired child to play the role of "Mickey McGuire" in a series of short films. Lacking the money to have her son's hair dyed, Mrs. Yule took her son to the audition after applying burnt cork to his scalp. Joe got the role and became "Mickey" for 78 of the comedies, running from 1927 to 1936, starting with ''Mickey's Circus'', released September 4, 1927. These had been adapted from the ''Toonerville Trolley'' comic strip, which contained a character named Mickey McGuire. Joe Yule briefly became Mickey McGuire legally in order to trump an attempted copyright lawsuit (if it was his legal name, the film producers did not owe the comic strip writers royalties). His mother also changed her surname to McGuire in an attempt to bolster the argument, but the film producers lost. The litigation settlement awarded damages to the owners of the cartoon character, as well as compelled the twelve year old actor to refrain from calling himself by the name Mickey McGuire on and off screen.

Rooney later claimed that, during his Mickey McGuire days, he met cartoonist Walt Disney at the Warner Brothers studio, and that Disney was inspired to name Mickey Mouse after him, although Disney always said that he had changed the name from "Mortimer Mouse" to "Mickey Mouse" on the suggestion of his wife.

During an interruption in the series in 1932, Mrs. Yule made plans to take her son on a ten-week vaudeville tour as McGuire, and Fox sued successfully to stop him from using the name. Mrs. Yule suggested the stage name of Mickey Looney for her comedian son, which he altered slightly to Rooney, a less frivolous version. Rooney did other films in his adolescence, including several more of the McGuire films, and signed with MGM in 1934. MGM cast Rooney as the teenage son of a judge in 1937's ''A Family Affair'', setting Rooney on the way to another successful film series.

"Andy Hardy" and Judy Garland

In 1937, Rooney was selected to portray Andy Hardy in ''A Family Affair'' (1937), which MGM had planned as a B-movie. Rooney provided comic relief as the son of Judge James K. Hardy, portrayed by Lionel Barrymore (although Lewis Stone would play the role of Judge Hardy in later films). The film was an unexpected success, and led to thirteen more ''Andy Hardy'' films between 1937 and 1946, and a final film in 1958. Rooney also received top billing as "Shockey Carter" in ''Hoosier Schoolboy'' (1937).

Also in 1937, Mickey made his first film alongside Judy Garland with ''Thoroughbreds Don't Cry''. Garland and Rooney became close friends and a successful song and dance team. Besides three of the Andy Hardy films, where she portrayed Betsy Booth, a younger girl with a crush on Andy, they appeared together in a string of successful musicals, including the Oscar-nominated ''Babes in Arms'' (1939). During an interview in the documentary film, ''When the Lion Roars'', Rooney describes their friendship:

"Judy and I were so close we could've come from the same womb. We weren't like brothers or sisters but there was no love affair there; there was more than a love affair. It's very, very difficult to explain the depths of our love for each other. It was so special. It was a forever love. Judy, as we speak, has not passed away. She's always with me in every heartbeat of my body."

Rooney's breakthrough role as a dramatic actor came in 1938's ''Boys Town'' opposite Spencer Tracy as Whitey Marsh, which opened shortly before his 18th birthday. Rooney was named the biggest box-office draw in 1939, 1940 and 1941. Unquestionably a well-known entertainer by the early 1940s Rooney, with Garland, was one of many celebrities caricatured in Tex Avery's 1941 Warner Bros. cartoon ''Hollywood Steps Out''. As of 2011, Rooney is the only surviving entertainer depicted in the cartoon.

After the war

In 1944, Rooney entered military service. He served more than 21 months, until shortly after the end of World War II. During and after the war he helped entertain the troops in America and Europe, and spent part of the time as a radio personality on the American Forces Network and earned the Bronze Star. After his return to civilian life, his career slumped. He appeared in a number of films, including ''Words and Music'' in 1948, which paired him for the last time with Garland on film (he appeared with her on one episode as a guest on her CBS variety series in 1963). He briefly starred in a CBS radio series, ''Shorty Bell'', in the summer of 1948, and reprised his role as "Andy Hardy", with most of the original cast, in a syndicated radio version of ''The Hardy Family'' in 1949 and 1950 (repeated on Mutual during 1952).

His first television series, ''The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan'' (created by Blake Edwards with Rooney as his own producer), appeared on NBC television for thirty-two episodes between August 28, 1954 and June 4, 1955. In 1951, he directed a feature film for Columbia Pictures, ''My True Story'' starring Helen Walker. Rooney also starred as a ragingly egomaniacal television comedian in the live 90-minute television drama ''The Comedian'', in the ''Playhouse 90'' series on the evening of Valentine's Day in 1957, and as himself in a revue called ''The Musical Revue of 1959'' based on the 1929 film ''The Hollywood Revue of 1929'' which was edited into a film in 1960, by British International Pictures.

In 1958, Rooney joined Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra in hosting an episode of NBC's short-lived ''Club Oasis'' comedy and variety show. In 1960, Rooney directed and starred in ''The Private Lives of Adam and Eve'', an ambitious comedy known for its multiple flashbacks and many cameos. In the 1960s, Rooney returned to theatrical entertainment. He still accepted film roles in undistinguished films, but occasionally would appear in better works, such as ''Requiem for a Heavyweight'' (1962), ''It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963), and ''The Black Stallion'' (1979). One of Rooney's more controversial roles came in the highly acclaimed 1961 film ''Breakfast at Tiffany's'' where he played a stereotyped buck-toothed myopic Japanese neighbor (Mr. Yunioshi) of the main character, Holly Golightly.

On December 31, 1961, he appeared on television's ''What's My Line'' and mentioned that he had already started enrolling students in the MRSE (Mickey Rooney School of Entertainment). His school venture never came to fruition, but for several years he was a spokesman/partner in Pennsylvania's Downingtown Inn, a country club and golf resort.

In 1966, while Rooney was working on the film ''Ambush Bay'' in the Philippines, his wife Barbara Ann Thomason (akas: Tara Thomas, Carolyn Mitchell), a former pin-up model and aspiring actress who had won 17 straight beauty contests in Southern California, was found dead in their bed. Beside her was her lover, Milos Milos, an actor friend of Rooney's. Detectives ruled it murder-suicide, which was committed with Rooney's own gun.

Rooney was awarded an Academy Juvenile Award in 1938, and in 1983 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted him their Academy Honorary Award for his lifetime of achievement. He was mentioned in the 1972 song "Celluloid Heroes" by The Kinks: ''"If you stomped on Mickey Rooney/ He'd still turn round and smile..."''

Character actor

In addition to his film roles, Rooney made numerous guest-starring roles as a character actor for nearly six decades, beginning with an episode of ''Celanese Theatre''. The part led to other roles on such television series as ''Schlitz Playhouse'', ''Playhouse 90'', ''Producers' Showcase'', ''Alcoa Theatre'', ''Wagon Train'', ''G.E. True Theater'', ''Hennessey'', ''The Dick Powell Theatre'', ''Arrest and Trial'', ''Burke's Law'', ''Combat!'', ''The Fugitive'', ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'', ''The Jean Arthur Show'', ''The Name of the Game'', ''Dan August'', ''Night Gallery'', ''The Love Boat'', ''Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'', among many others.

Television, stage and ''The Black Stallion''

Rooney made a successful transition to television and stage work. In 1961, he guest starred in the 13-week James Franciscus adventure–drama television series ''The Investigators'' on CBS. In 1963, he even entered ''The Twilight Zone'', giving a one-man performance in the episode "The Last Night of a Jockey". In 1964, he launched another half-hour sitcom, ''Mickey'', on ABC. The story line had "Mickey" operating a resort hotel in southern California. Son Tim Rooney appeared as Rooney's teenaged son on the program, and Emmaline Henry starred as Rooney's wife. It lasted 17 episodes, ending primarily due to the suicide of co-star Sammee Tong in October 1964.

He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for his role in 1981's ''Bill''. Playing opposite Dennis Quaid, Rooney's character was a mentally challenged man attempting to live on his own after leaving an institution. He reprised his role in 1983's ''Bill: On His Own'', earning an Emmy nomination for the role.

Rooney did the voices for four Christmas TV animated/stop action specials: ''Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town'' (1970), ''The Year Without a Santa Claus'' (1974), ''Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July'' (1979), and ''A Miser Brothers' Christmas'' (2008) — always playing Santa Claus. In 1970, he was approached by television producer Norman Lear to consider taking on the role of Archie Bunker in the upcoming CBS series, ''All in the Family''. Like Jackie Gleason before him, Mickey rejected the role, which ultimately went to Carroll O'Connor.

He continued to work on stage and television through the 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the acclaimed stage play ''Sugar Babies'' with Ann Miller beginning in 1979. He also starred in the short-lived sitcom, ''One of the Boys'', along with 2 unfamiliar young stars, Dana Carvey and Nathan Lane, in 1982. He toured Canada in a dinner theatre production of ''The Mind with the Naughty Man'' in the mid-1990s. He played The Wizard in a stage production of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' with Eartha Kitt at Madison Square Garden. Kitt was later replaced by Jo Anne Worley. In 1995 he starred with Charlton Heston, Peter Graves and Deborah Winters in the Warren Chaney docudrama ''America: A Call to Greatness''. He also appeared in the documentary ''That's Entertainment! III''.

Rooney voiced Mr. Cherrywood in ''The Care Bears Movie'' (1985), and starred as the Movie Mason in a Disney Channel Original Movie family film 2000's ''Phantom of the Megaplex''. He had a guest spot on an episode of ''The Golden Girls'' as Sophia's boyfriend "Rocko", who claimed to be a bank robber. He voiced himself in the ''Simpsons'' episode "Radioactive Man" of 1995. In 1996–97, Mickey played Talbut on the TV series, Kleo The Misfit Unicorn produced by Gordon Stanfield Animation (GSA). He co-starred in ''Night at the Museum'' in 2006 with Dick Van Dyke and Ben Stiller.

After starring in one unsuccessful TV series and for turning down an offer on a huge TV series, Rooney finally hit the jackpot, at 70, when he was offering a starring role on The Family Channel's, ''The Adventures of the Black Stallion'', where he reprised his role as Henry Dailey from the film of the same name, eleven years earlier. The show was based on a novel by Walter Farley. For this role, he had to travel all the way to Vancouver. Just like the film itself, the ''Black Stallion'' TV series, Rooney became one of the most beloved stars, that the show itself became an immediate hit with teenagers, young adults and people all over the world. The show was also seen in 70 countries. It also lost out to ''Harry and the Hendersons'', when the show was nominated for a Young Artist Award in the "Best Off-Prime Time or Cable Family Series" category.

Also starring on ''Black Stallion'' were Docs Keepin Time who played "The Black Stallion", but did not have a voice part in the series, despite appearing in every episode of the series, with an unfamiliar Canadian high school student, a fan of Rooney's films, a voice-over actor, a future acting instructor, and online radio host, Richard Ian Cox, in the role of Henry's teenaged traveler, Alec Ramsay. The on- and off-screen chemistry between Rooney and Cox was an immediate success story of 1990s television. Richard also had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Mickey's real-life family, when not filming. For its three seasons on air, Rooney was nominated for a Gemini Award in the category of "Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role", but didn't win. By the end of the third season, Black Stallion's ratings were declining, the show was cancelled in 1993, after three seasons and 78 episodes.

In December 2009 he appeared as a guest to a dinner party hosted by David Gest on the UK channel 4 show ''Come Dine With Me''.

Current work

Rooney appeared in television commercials for Garden State Life Insurance Company in 1999, alongside his wife Jan. In commercials shown in 2007, he can be seen in the background washing imaginary dishes.

In 2003, Mickey and Jan Rooney began their association with Rainbow Puppet Productions, providing their voices to the 100th Anniversary production of "Toyland!" an adaptation of Victor Herbert's ''Babes in Toyland''. He created the voice for the Master Toymaker while Jan provided the voice for Mother Goose. Since that time, they have created voices for additional Rainbow Puppet Productions including "Pirate Party" which also features vocal performances by Carol Channing. Both productions continue to tour theaters across the country.

He continues to work in film and tours with his wife in a multi-media live stage production called ''Let's Put On a Show!'' His first performance of this show after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack was in Bend, Oregon, in which Mickey and Jan requested the show begin with the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner" by Jan offstage with only the American Flag visible on stage.

On May 26, 2007, he was grand marshal at the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival. Rooney made his British pantomime debut, playing Baron Hardup in Cinderella, at the Sunderland Empire Theatre over the 2007 Christmas period, a role he reprised in 2009 at the Milton Keynes theatre.

In 2008, Rooney starred as "Chief", a wise old ranch owner, in the independent family feature film ''Lost Stallions: The Journey Home'', marking a return to starring in equestrian-themed productions for the first time since the 1990s TV show ''Adventures of the Black Stallion''. Although they have acted together before, ''Lost Stallions: The Journey Home'' is the sole film to date in which he and Jan portrayed a married couple on screen.

Personal life

Rooney has been married eight times. In the 1950s and 1960s, he was often the subject of comedians' jokes for his alleged inability to stay married. His current marriage, to Jan Chamberlin, has lasted more than 30 years which is longer than his previous seven marriages combined.

In 1942, he married Hollywood starlet Ava Gardner, but the two were divorced well before she became a star in her own right. While stationed in the military in Alabama in 1944, Rooney met and married local beauty queen Betty Jane Phillips. This marriage ended in divorce after he returned from Europe at the end of World War II. His subsequent marriages to Martha Vickers (1949) and Elaine Mahnken (1952) were also short-lived and ended in divorce. In 1958, Rooney married Barbara Ann Thomason, but tragedy struck when she was murdered in 1966. Falling into deep depression, he married Barbara's friend, Marge Lane, who helped him take care of his young children. The marriage lasted only 100 days. He was married to Carolyn Hockett from 1969 to 1974, but financial instability ended the relationship. Finally, in 1978, Rooney married Jan Chamberlin, his eighth wife. , they live in Westlake Village, California. Both are outspoken advocates for veterans and animal rights.

After battling drug addiction and a near bankruptcy caused by gambling and bad investments, Rooney became a born-again Christian in the 1970s, after an unusual encounter with a busboy in a casino coffee shop. Rooney shared his religious beliefs on Jim and Tammy Bakker's Christian television show, ''The PTL Club''.

Rooney's oldest child, Mickey Rooney, Jr., is a born-again Christian, and has an evangelical ministry in Hemet, California. He and several of Rooney's other eight children have worked at various times in show business. One of them, actor Tim Rooney, died in 2006, aged 59.

On September 21, 2005, just days after the death of Liza Minnelli's ex-stepfather, Sid Luft, where he attended his service, Rooney celebrated his 85th birthday at the Regent Theater in Arlington, Massachusetts, where his wife appeared with him in a play titled ''Let's Put On A Show''.

On September 23, 2010, Rooney celebrated his 90th birthday at Feinstein's at Loews Regency in the Upper East Side of New York City. Among the people who were attending the party were: Donald Trump, Regis Philbin, Nathan Lane, Tony Bennett and Jan Rooney, who threw the party for him. In December 2010 he was honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month.

On February 16, 2011, Rooney was granted a temporary restraining order against Christopher Aber, one of Jan Rooney's two sons from a previous marriage. On March 2, 2011 Rooney appeared before a special U.S. Senate committee that was considering legislation to curb elder abuse. Rooney stated that he was financially abused by an unnamed family member. On March 27, 2011, all of Rooney's finances were permanently handed over to lawyers over the claim of missing money.

In April 2011, the temporary restraining order that Rooney was previously granted was voluntarily withdrawn as a result of a confidential settlement between Rooney and his stepson. Christopher Aber and Jan Rooney have denied all the allegations.

Filmography

Selected films

This is a selected list of Rooney's full-length films, both theatrical and made for television.

! Year !! Title
1927	''Orchids and Ermine''
	''The Beast of the City''
''Sin's Pay Day''
''High Speed''
''Fast Companions''
''My Pal, the King''
''Officer Thirteen''
	''The Big Cage''
''The Life of Jimmy Dolan''
''The Big Chance''
''The Chief''
''The World Changes''
	''Beloved''
''The Lost Jungle''
''I Like It That Way''
''Manhattan Melodrama''
''Love Birds''
''Half a Sinner''
''Hide-Out''
''Blind Date''
''Death on the Diamond''
	''The County Chairman''
''Down the Stretch''
''The Devil is a Sissy''
''Hoosier Schoolboy''
''Live, Love and Learn''
''Thoroughbreds Don't Cry''
''You're Only Young Once''
	''Love Is a Headache''
''Judge Hardy's Children''
''Hold That Kiss''
''Lord Jeff''
''Love Finds Andy Hardy''
''Stablemates''
''Out West with the Hardys''
''The Hardys Ride High''
''Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever''
''Judge Hardy and Son''
	''Young Tom Edison''
''Andy Hardy Meets Debutante''

! Year !! Title
	''Andy Hardy's Private Secretary''
''Men of Boys Town''
''Life Begins for Andy Hardy''
''Babes on Broadway''
	''The Courtship of Andy Hardy''
''A Yank at Eton''
''Andy Hardy's Double Life''
''Thousands Cheer''
	''Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble''
1946	''Love Laughs at Andy Hardy''
1947	''Killer McCoy''
1949
''The Fireball''
''He's a Cockeyed Wonder''
	''My Outlaw Brother''
1952
''All Ashore''
''A Slight Case of Larceny''
	''Drive a Crooked Road''
''The Atomic Kid''
	''The Bridges at Toko-Ri''
''The Twinkle in God's Eye''
	''The Bold and the Brave''
''Magnificent Roughnecks''
	''Operation Mad Ball''
	''A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed''
''Andy Hardy Comes Home''
	''The Big Operator''
''The Last Mile''
	''Platinum High School''
	''King of the Roaring 20's – The Story of Arnold Rothstein''
''Everything's Ducky''
1962	''Requiem for a Heavyweight''
1963	''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World''
1964	''The Secret Invasion''
	''Twenty-Four Hours to Kill''
''How to Stuff a Wild Bikini''
	''The Devil In Love''
''Ambush Bay''
1968
	''The Extraordinary Seaman''
''The Comic''
''80 Steps to Jonah''

! Year !! Title
1970	''Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County''
	''Mooch Goes to Hollywood''
''The Manipulator''
	''Evil Roy Slade''
1973	''The Godmothers''
	''Thunder County''
''Rachel's Man''
''Journey Back to Oz'' (voice)
''The Year Without a Santa Claus''
	''Ace of Hearts''
''From Hong Kong with Love''
1976	''Find the Lady''
	''The Domino Principle''
''Pete's Dragon''
1978	''The Magic of Lassie''
''Arabian Adventure''
''Odyssey of the Pacific''
1982	''The Emperor of Peru''
1983	''Bill: On His Own''
1984	''It Came Upon the Midnight Clear''
1985	''The Care Bears Movie'' (voice)
1986	''Lightning, the White Stallion''
1988	''Bluegrass''
	''Erik the Viking''
''Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland''
	''Home For Christmas''
1991
	''The Milky Life''
''Sweet Justice''
''Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker''
''Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland''
''Maximum Force''
1993	''The Legend of Wolf Mountain''
	''Revenge of the Red Baron''
''The Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart''
''Making Waves''
1995	''America: A Call to Greatness''
1997	''Killing Midnight''
	''The Face on the Barroom Floor''
''Animals and the Tollkeeper''
''Michael Kael vs. the World News Company''
''Sinbad: The Battle of the Dark Knights''
''Babe: Pig in the City''
	''Holy Hollywood''
''The First of May''
	''Internet Love''
''Phantom of the Megaplex''
2001	''Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure'' (voice)
2002	''Topa Topa Bluffs''
2003	''Paradise''
	''Strike the Tent''
''A Christmas Too Many''
	''The Thirsting''
''To Kill a Mockumentary''
''Night at the Museum''
	''The Yesterday Pool''
''Bamboo Shark''
2008	''Lost Stallions: The Journey Home''
2010	''Gerald''
2011

Short subjects

! Year !! Title
1926	''Not to Be Trusted''
	'' Mickey's Circus''
''Mickey's Pals''
''Mickey's Eleven''
''Mickey's Battles''
	''Mickey's Parade''
''Mickey in School''
''Mickey's Nine''
''Mickey's Little Eva''
''Mickey's Wild West''
''Mickey in Love''
''Mickey's Triumph''
''Mickey's Babies''
''Mickey's Movies''
''Mickey's Rivals''
''Mickey the Detective''
''Mickey's Athletes''
''Mickey's Big Game Hunt''
	''Mickey's Great Idea''
''Mickey's Menagerie''
''Mickey's Last Chance''
''Mickey's Brown Derby''
''Mickey's Northwest Mounted''

! Year !! Title
	''Mickey's Initiation''
''Mickey's Midnite Follies''
''Mickey's Surprise''
''Mickey's Mix-Up''
''Mickey's Big Moment''
''Mickey's Strategy''
	''Mickey's Champs''
''Mickey's Explorers''
''Mickey's Master Mind''
''Mickey's Luck''
''Mickey's Whirlwinds''
''Mickey's Warriors''
''Mickey the Romeo''
''Mickey's Merry Men''
''Mickey's Winners''
''Screen Snapshots'' Series 9, No. 24
''Mickey's Musketeers''
''Mickey's Bargain''
	''Mickey's Stampede''
''Mickey's Crusaders''
''Mickey's Rebellion''
''Mickey's Diplomacy''
''Mickey's Wildcats''
''Mickey's Thrill Hunters''
''Mickey's Helping Hand''
''Mickey's Sideline''

! Year !! Title
	''Mickey's Busy Day''
''Mickey's Travels''
''Mickey's Holiday''
''Mickey's Big Business''
''Mickey's Golden Rule''
''Mickey's Charity''
	''Mickey's Ape Man''
''Mickey's Race''
''Mickey's Big Broadcast''
''Mickey's Disguises''
''Mickey's Touchdown''
''Mickey's Tent Show''
''Mickey's Covered Wagon''
	''Mickey's Minstrels''
''Mickey's Rescue''
''Mickey's Medicine Man''
1935	''Pirate Party on Catalina Isle''
1937	''Cinema Circus''
1938	''Andy Hardy's Dilemma''
1940	''Rodeo Dough''
1941	''Meet the Stars #4'': Variety Reel #2
1943	''Show Business at War''
1947	''Screen Snapshots: Out of This World'' Series
1953	''Screen Snapshots: Mickey Rooney – Then and Now''
1958	''Screen Snapshots: Glamorous Hollywood''
1968	''Vienna''
1974	''Just One More Time''
1975	''The Lion Roars Again''
2008	''Wreck the Halls''

Television

Rooney has made countless appearances in TV sitcoms and television films. He has also lent his voice to many animation films. Only his most important work is listed in this section.

! Year(s) !! Title
1954–1955	''The Mickey Rooney Show'': ''Hey Mulligan''
1957
1964–1965
1981
1982	''One of the Boys'' (canceled after 13 episodes)
1983	''Bill: On His Own'' (sequel to 1981's "Bill" nominated for Emmy)
1990–1993	''The Adventures of the Black Stallion''

Marriages

! Name !! Years !! Children
Ava Gardner	1942–1943
		Mickey Rooney, Jr. (born July 3, 1945)
Tim Rooney (January 4, 1947 — September 23, 2006)
Martha Vickers	1949–1951	Theodore Michael Rooney (born April 13, 1950)
Elaine Devry	1952–1958
		Kelly Ann Rooney (born September 13, 1959)
Kerry Rooney (born December 30, 1960)
Kimmy Sue Rooney (born September 13, 1963)
Marge Lane	1966–1967
		Jimmy Rooney (adopted from Carolyn's previous marriage) (born 1966)
Jonelle Rooney (born January 11, 1970)
	1978–present

References

Further reading

Rooney, Mickey (1991). ''Life Is Too Short''. (New York: Random House)

Marx, Arthur (1988/reprint). ''The Nine Lives Of Mickey Rooney''. (New York: Berkley Publishing Group)

External links

mickeyrooney.com, Official Site Of Mickey Rooney

Mickey Rooney on the Phil Silvers Show

"Mickey Rooney on America, Christ and Judy Garland: The Hollywood Legend Speaks Out." ''Montreal Mirror'' interview 1998

Category:1920 births Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients Category:Academy Juvenile Award winners Category:American child actors Category:Converts to Christianity Category:American Christians Category:American dancers Category:American film actors Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American silent film actors Category:American television actors Category:American television directors Category:American television personalities Category:American television producers Category:American singers Category:American stage actors Category:American voice actors Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actor Golden Globe winners Category:California Republicans Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Vaudeville performers

an:Mickey Rooney ca:Mickey Rooney cs:Mickey Rooney cy:Mickey Rooney da:Mickey Rooney de:Mickey Rooney es:Mickey Rooney eu:Mickey Rooney fr:Mickey Rooney gl:Mickey Rooney it:Mickey Rooney he:מיקי רוני la:Michael Rooney nl:Mickey Rooney ja:ミッキー・ルーニー no:Mickey Rooney pl:Mickey Rooney pt:Mickey Rooney ro:Mickey Rooney ru:Микки Руни simple:Mickey Rooney sh:Mickey Rooney fi:Mickey Rooney sv:Mickey Rooney tl:Mickey Rooney tr:Mickey Rooney

name	Ben Stiller
birth name	Benjamin Edward Stiller
birth date	November 30, 1965
birth place	New York City, United States
occupation	Actor, comedian, director, producer, screenwriter
years active	1975–present
spouse	Christine Taylor (2000–present; 2 children)
parents	Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara }}

Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

After beginning his acting career with a play, Stiller wrote several mockumentaries, and was offered two of his own shows, both entitled ''The Ben Stiller Show''. He began acting in films, and made his directorial debut with ''Reality Bites''. Throughout his career he has since written, starred in, directed, and/or produced over 50 films including ''Heavyweights'', ''There's Something About Mary'', ''Meet the Parents'', ''Zoolander'', ''Dodgeball'', ''Tropic Thunder'' and ''Greenberg''. In addition, he has had multiple cameos in music videos, television shows, and films.

Stiller is a member of the comedic acting brotherhood colloquially known as the Frat Pack. His films have grossed more than $2.1 billion domestically (United States and Canada), with an average of $73 million per film. Throughout his career, he has received several awards and honors including an Emmy Award, several MTV Movie Awards, and a Teen Choice Award.

Early life

Stiller was born in New York City. His father, Jerry Stiller, is Jewish; his mother, Anne Meara, who is of Irish Catholic background, converted to Reform Judaism after marrying his father (though the family celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas). Stiller's parents frequently took him on the sets of their appearances, including an appearance on ''The Mike Douglas Show'' when he was six. He admitted in an interview that he considered his childhood unusual: "In some ways, it was a show-business upbringing—a lot of traveling, a lot of late nights—not what you'd call traditional." His sister, actress Amy Stiller, has made appearances in many of his productions, including ''Reality Bites'', ''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'', and ''Zoolander''.

He displayed an early interest in film making and made Super 8 movies with his sister and friends. At 10 years old, he made his acting debut as a guest on his mother's television series ''Kate McShane''. In the late 1970s he performed with the New York City troupe NYC's First All Children's Theater, performing in several roles, including the title role in ''Clever Jack and the Magic Beanstalk.'' After being inspired by the television show ''Second City Television'' while in high school, Stiller realized that he wanted to get involved with sketch comedy.

Stiller attended the Cathedral School and graduated from the Calhoun School in New York in 1983. He started performing on the cabaret circuit as opening act to the cabaret siren Jadin Wong. Stiller then enrolled as a film student at the University of California, Los Angeles. After nine months, Stiller left school to move back to New York City. He made his way through acting classes, auditioning, and trying to find an agent.

Acting career

Early work

Stiller landed a role in the Broadway revival of John Guare's ''The House of Blue Leaves'', alongside John Mahoney; the production would garner four Tony Awards. During its run, Stiller produced a satirical mockumentary whose principal was fellow actor Mahoney. His comedic work was so well received by the cast and crew of the play that he followed up with a 10 minute short called ''The Hustler of Money'', a parody of the Martin Scorsese film ''The Color of Money''. The film featured him in a send-up of Tom Cruise's character and Mahoney in the Paul Newman role, only this time as a bowling hustler instead of a pool shark. The short got the attention of ''Saturday Night Live'', which aired it in 1987, and two years later offered him a spot as a writer. In the meantime, he also had a bit part in Steven Spielberg's ''Empire of the Sun''.

In 1989, Stiller wrote and appeared on a season of ''Saturday Night Live'' as a featured performer. However, since the show did not want him to make more short films for the show, he left after five episodes. He then put together ''Elvis Stories'', a short film about a fictitious tabloid focused on recent sightings of Elvis Presley. The film starred friends and co-stars John Cusack, Jeremy Piven, Mike Myers, Andy Dick, and Jeff Kahn. The film was considered a success, and led him to develop another film titled ''Back to Brooklyn'' for MTV.

''The Ben Stiller Show''

MTV was so impressed with ''Back to Brooklyn'' that they offered Stiller a 13-episode show in the experimental "vid-com" format. Titled ''The Ben Stiller Show'', this series mixed comedy sketches with music videos and parodied various television shows, music stars, and films. It starred Stiller, along with main writer Jeff Khan and Harry O'Reilly with occasional appearances by his parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, and sister Amy Stiller.

Although the show was canceled after its first season, it led to another show titled ''The Ben Stiller Show'' on the Fox Network in 1992. ''The Ben Stiller Show'' aired 12 episodes on Fox, with a 13th unaired episode broadcast by Comedy Central in a later revival. Among the principal writers on ''The Ben Stiller Show'' were Stiller and Judd Apatow, with the show featuring the ensemble cast of Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick, and Bob Odenkirk. Both Denise Richards and Jeanne Tripplehorn appeared as extras in various episodes. Throughout its short run, ''The Ben Stiller Show'' frequently appeared at the bottom of the ratings, even as it garnered critical acclaim and eventually won the Emmy for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program" after it was canceled.

Directorial debut

After a few minor film roles in the early 1990s, such as ''Stella'', ''Highway to Hell'', and a cameo in ''The Nutt House'', Stiller devoted his time to writing, fund raising, recruiting cast members, starring in, and directing ''Reality Bites''. The film was produced by Danny DeVito (who later directed Stiller's 2003 film ''Duplex'' and produced the 2004 film ''Along Came Polly''). ''Reality Bites'' debuted as the highest-grossing film in its opening weekend and received mixed reviews.

He joined his parents in the family film ''Heavyweights'', in which he played two roles, and then had a brief uncredited role in Adam Sandler's ''Happy Gilmore''. Next, he had lead roles in ''If Lucy Fell'' and ''Flirting with Disaster'', before tackling his next directorial effort with ''The Cable Guy'' which starred Jim Carrey. Stiller once again was featured in his own film as twins. The film received mixed reviews, but was noted for paying the highest salary for an actor up to that point. Jim Carrey received $20 million for his work in the film. The film also connected Stiller with future Frat Pack members Jack Black and Owen Wilson.

Also in 1996, MTV invited Stiller to host the VH1 Fashion Awards. Along with SNL writer Drake Sather, Stiller developed a short film for the awards about a male model known as Derek Zoolander. It was so well received that Stiller developed another short film about the character for the 1997 VH1 Fashion Awards and finally remade the skit into a film.

Comedy career

In 1998, Stiller put aside his directing ambitions to star in ''There's Something About Mary'' alongside Cameron Diaz, which accelerated Stiller's acting career. That year he also starred in several dramas including ''Zero Effect'', ''Your Friends & Neighbors'', and ''Permanent Midnight''. Stiller was invited to take part in hosting the Music Video awards, for which he developed a parody of the Backstreet Boys and performed a sketch with his father, commenting on his current career.

In 1999, he starred in three films, including ''Mystery Men'', where he played a superhero wannabe called Mr. Furious. He returned to directing with a new spoof television series for Fox titled ''Heat Vision and Jack'', starring Jack Black, however, the show was not picked up by Fox after its pilot episode and the series was cancelled.

2000 would be a better year for Stiller as he starred in three more films including one of his most recognizable roles, as a male nurse named Greg Focker in ''Meet the Parents'' opposite Robert De Niro. The film was well-received by critics, grossed over $330 million worldwide, and spawned two sequels. Also in 2000, MTV again invited Stiller to make another short film and he developed ''Mission: Improbable'', a spoof of Tom Cruise's role in ''Mission: Impossible II'' and other films.

In 2001, Stiller would direct his third feature film, ''Zoolander'', which focused on the character Derek Zoolander (played by Stiller) that he developed for the VH1 Fashion Awards. The film featured multiple cameos from a variety of celebrities including Donald Trump, Paris Hilton, Lenny Kravitz, Heidi Klum, and David Bowie among others. The film was banned in Malaysia (as the plot centered on an assassination attempt of a Malaysian prime minister) while shots of the World Trade Center were digitally removed and hidden for the film's release after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

After Stiller worked with Owen Wilson in ''Zoolander'', they joined together again for ''The Royal Tenenbaums''. Over the next two years, Stiller continued with the lackluster box office film ''Duplex'' and several cameos in ''Orange County'' and ''Nobody Knows Anything!''. He also guest-starred on several television shows, including an appearance in an episode of the television series ''King Of Queens'' in a flashback as the father of the character Arthur (played by Jerry Stiller). He also made a guest appearance on World Wrestling Entertainment's WWE Raw.

In 2004, Stiller appeared in six different films, all of which were comedies, and include some of his highest grossing films. They include ''Starsky & Hutch'', ''Envy'', ''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'', an uncredited cameo in ''Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy'', ''Along Came Polly'', and ''Meet the Fockers''. While ''Envy'' only grossed $14.5 million worldwide, his most successful film of the year was ''Meet the Fockers'', which grossed over $516.6 million worldwide. In 2005, Stiller would begin his first attempt at a computer-animated film with ''Madagascar'', which performed so well at the box office that it resulted in a sequel released in 2008.

In 2006, Stiller had cameo roles in ''School for Scoundrels'', and ''Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny'', for which he served as executive producer. In December, Stiller starred in the lead role of ''Night at the Museum''. Although not a critical favorite, it earned over $115 million in ten days. In 2007, Stiller starred alongside Malin Åkerman in the romantic comedy ''The Heartbreak Kid''. The film earned over $100 million worldwide despite receiving mostly negative reviews. ''Tropic Thunder'', a film he directed, co-wrote, and co-produced, and in which he starred with Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black, was released on August 13, 2008. In May 2009, he starred with Amy Adams in the sequel ''Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian''. In 2010, Stiller made a brief cameo in Joaquin Phoenix's mockumentary ''I'm Still Here'' and played the lead role in the comedy-drama ''Greenberg''. Stiller again portrayed Gaylord 'Greg' Focker in ''Little Fockers'', the second sequel to ''Meet the Parents''. Stiller had planned to voice a character in ''Megamind'', but later dropped out while still remaining a producer.

Upcoming projects

For 2011, Stiller will join Eddie Murphy and Alan Alda in ''Tower Heist'' about a group of maintenance workers planning a heist in a residential skyscraper. Filming began in November 2010.

The Frat Pack

Stiller is the "acknowledged leader" of the Frat Pack, a core group of actors that has worked together in multiple films. The group includes Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd. Stiller has been acknowledged as the leader of the group due to his multiple cameos and for his consistent use of the other members in roles in films which he produces and directs. He has appeared the most with Owen Wilson, in eleven films including: ''The Cable Guy'' (1996), ''Permanent Midnight'' (1998), ''Heat Vision and Jack'' (1999 television pilot), ''Meet the Parents'' (2000), ''Zoolander'' (2001), ''The Royal Tenenbaums'' (2001), ''Starsky & Hutch'' (2004), ''Meet the Fockers'' (2004), ''Night at the Museum'' (2006), and ''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'' (2009) and "Little Fockers" (2010). Of the 35 primary films that are considered Frat Pack films, Stiller has been involved with 20, in some capacity. He is also the only member of this group to have appeared in a Brat Pack film (''Fresh Horses'').

Personal life

Ben Stiller dated several actresses during his early television and film career, including Jeanne Tripplehorn, Calista Flockhart, and Amanda Peet. In May 2000, Stiller married Christine Taylor, whom he met while filming a never-broadcast television pilot for the Fox Broadcasting network called ''Heat Vision and Jack'', which starred Jack Black. The couple appeared onscreen together in ''Zoolander'', ''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'', and ''Tropic Thunder''. He and Taylor reside in Hollywood Hills and have a daughter, Ella Olivia, born April 10, 2002, and a son, Quinlin Dempsey, born July 10, 2005.

Stiller is a supporter of the Democratic Party and donated money to John Kerry's 2004 U.S. Presidential campaign. In February 2007, Stiller attended a fundraiser for Barack Obama and later donated to the 2008 U.S. Presidential campaigns of Democrats Obama, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton. Stiller is also a supporter of several charities including Declare Yourself, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. In 2010, Stiller joined Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Robin Williams, and other Hollywood stars in "The Cove PSA: My Friend is... ", an effort to stop the slaughter of dolphins and protect the Japanese population from the toxic levels of mercury found in dolphin meat.

In a 1999 interview with ''GQ'' and later in a 2001 interview with Hollywood.com, Stiller stated that he has bipolar disorder, an illness he said that ran in his family. In interviews in November and December 2006, Stiller claimed that this earlier interview's comment about the disorder was false. In one interview he clarified, "I said jokingly in ''GQ'' that I was, like, crazy, and it came out as: Ben Stiller, bipolar manic-depressive!"

Stiller frequently does impersonations of many of his favorite performers, including Bono, Tom Cruise, Bruce Springsteen, and David Blaine. In an interview with ''Parade'', he commented that Robert Klein, George Carlin, and Jimmie Walker were inspirations for his comedy career. Stiller is also a self-professed Trekkie and appeared in the television special ''Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond'' to express his love of the show, as well as a comedy roast for William Shatner. He frequently references the show in his work, and named his production company Red Hour Productions after the original ''Star Trek'' episode "The Return of the Archons".

Filmography

Actor

Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
		Dainty
	Chris Honeywell
''Shoeshine''
1988	''Fresh Horses''	Tipton
		Lawrence Isabella
''Elvis Stories''	Bruce
''That's Adequate''	Chip Lane
1990		Jim Uptegrove
	''The Nutt House''	Pie Thrower	Cameo
	Pluto's Cook/Attila the Hun
1994	''Reality Bites''	Michael Grates	Also director
1995	''Heavyweights''	Tony Perkis/Tony Perkis Sr.
	''The Cable Guy''	Sam Sweet/Stan Sweet	Also director
	Mel
''If Lucy Fell''	Bwick Elias
''Happy Gilmore''	Hal L. (Nursing Home Orderly)
	''Permanent Midnight''	Jerry Stahl
''Your Friends & Neighbors''	Jerry
''There's Something About Mary''	Ted Stroehmann
''Zero Effect''	Steve Arlo
		Mark Clear
''Mystery Men''	Mr. Furious
''The Suburbans''	Jay Rose
	''Meet the Parents''	Gaylord 'Greg' Focker
''Keeping the Faith''	Rabbi Jake Schram
	Cop
	''The Royal Tenenbaums''	Chas Tenenbaum
''Zoolander''	Derek Zoolander	Also writer and director
		The Firefighter	Cameo
''Run Ronnie Run''	Himself
	''Nobody Knows Anything!''	Peach Expert	Cameo
	Alex Rose
''Pauly Shore Is Dead''	Himself	Cameo
	''Meet the Fockers''	Gaylord 'Greg' Focker
''Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy''	Arturo Mendes	Cameo
''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story''	White Goodman
	Tim Dingman
	David Starsky
''Along Came Polly''	Reuben Feffer
	''Danny Roane: First Time Director''	Himself
	Alex	Voice only
''Sledge: The Untold Story''	Commander
	''Night at the Museum''	Larry Daley
''In Search of Ted Demme''	Himself
''Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny''	Guitar Center Guy	Cameo and producer
	Lonnie
2007		Eddie Cantrow
	''Tropic Thunder''	Tugg Speedman	Also writer and directorNominated - MTV Movie Awards
''[[Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa''	Alex	Voice only
	''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian''	Larry Daley
''The Marc Pease Experience''	Jon Gribble
		Roger Greenberg
	Himself
''Megamind''	Bernard	Executive ProducerVoice-Role
''Little Fockers''	Gaylord 'Greg' Focker
		Ben Stiller	Exagerated Version of Himself, Cameo (uncredited)
''Tower Heist''	Josh Kovacs
''Bunnicula''	Edgar Allan Crow
	Himself	Cameo
	''Madagascar 3''	Alex	Voice only in production

Director and producer

Year			! Notes
1989	''Elvis Stories''	Director/Writer
1994	Reality Bites'' >
1996	''The Cable Guy''
1999	''Heat Vision and Jack''
2001	''Zoolander''
rowspan="2">2003	Duplex (film)>Duplex''
''Crooked Lines''	Executive producer
rowspan="2"		2004	Starsky & Hutch (film)>Starsky & Hutch''
''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story''	Producer
2006	''Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny''
2007	Blades of Glory'' >
rowspan="2"	2008	''Date School''
''Tropic Thunder''	Director/Producer/Writer
2009	The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story'' >
2010	''Megamind''
2010	Submarine (2010 film)>Submarine''
2011	''30 Minutes or Less''

Television work

< ''The Ben Stiller Show'' ''Duckman'' ''NewsRadio'' ''Heat Vision and Jack'' ''Freaks and Geeks'' ''The Simpsons'' ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' ''Arrested Development (TV series) ''Extras (TV series) ''Phineas and Ferb'' ''Onion News Network''

Year			! Role	! Notes
1987	''Miami Vice''
rowspan="2">1990	''The Ben Stiller Show''	|	Himself	Director and writer
''Working Trash''	Freddy Novak
1992–1993	|	Himself	Director, producer, and writer
rowspan="2">1995	|	Harry Medfly	Voice only; single episode
''2 Stupid Dogs''	Tony Robbins-style character
1996	|	Vic	Single episode
1997	''Friends''
1998	''Space Ghost Coast to Coast''
rowspan="2"	1999	|	Strip Club DJ	Director and executive producer
''WWE Raw	WWF Raw Is War''	Himself
2000	|	Secret Service Agent	Single episode
2001	''Undeclared''
rowspan="3"	2002	|	Garth Motherloving	Voice only; single episode
''Prehistoric Planet''	Narrator
''The King of Queens''	Jerry
2004	|	Himself	Three episodes
2004–2006	Arrested Development'' ||	Tony Wonder	Four episodes
2005	Extras'' ||	Himself	Single episode
2007	Family Guy'' >
2008	''Sesame Street''
rowspan="3"	2010	|	Khaka Peu Peu	The Beak (Phineas and Ferb)>The Beak
''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!''	Himself
''The Trip (2010 TV series)	The Trip''	Himself
2011	|	Himself	Single episode

Music videos

"Rollin' (Limp Bizkit song) "Bad Boy for Life" "Tribute (song) "Taylor (song) "Closer (Travis song)

Year			! Artist	! Role
1999	All Star (song)>All Star"	Smash Mouth
rowspan="2">2000	Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" ||	Limp Bizkit	Himself
"Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water"
2001	|	Sean Combs	P. Diddy's Neighbor
2002	Tribute" ||	Tenacious D	Himself
2004	Taylor" || Jack Johnson
2006	''Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!''
2007	Closer" ||	Travis (band)>Travis	Supermarket Manager

Awards and honors

Stiller was awarded an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program"for his work on ''The Ben Stiller Show''. He has been nominated twelve times for the Teen Choice Awards and won once for "Choice Hissy Fit" for his work in ''Zoolander''. He also was nominated by the MTV Movie Awards thirteen times and won three times for "Best Fight" in ''There's Something About Mary'', "Best Comedic Performance" in ''Meet the Parents'', and "Best Villain" in ''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story''. Princeton University's Class of 2005 inducted Stiller as an honorary member of the class during its "Senior Week" in April 2005. On February 23, 2007, Stiller received the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award from Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals. According to the organization, the award is given to performers who give a lasting and impressive contribution to the world of entertainment. On March 31, 2007, Stiller received the "Wannabe Award" from the Kids' Choice Awards. On May 31, 2009, Stiller received the MTV Generation Award, at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. It is the ceremony's top honor.

References

Further reading

Bankston, John. ''Ben Stiller (Real-Life Reader Biography)''. Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2002. ISBN 1584151323.

Dougherty, Terri. ''Ben Stiller (People in the News)''. Lucent Books, 2006. ISBN 1590187237.

External links

Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York Category:American Jews Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American film producers Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:American television directors Category:American television writers Category:American voice actors Category:California Democrats Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish comedians Category:People from Manhattan Category:Film directors from New York City

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name	Peter Lorre
birth name	László Löwenstein
birth date	June 26, 1904
birth place	Rózsahegy (now Ružomberok), Austria-Hungary (now Slovakia)
death date	March 23, 1964
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
occupation	Actor
years active	1929–64
spouse	Celia Lovsky''(1934–45)''Kaaren Verne''(1945–50)'' Anne Marie Brenning''(1953–64)'' 1 child
website	}}

Peter Lorre (26 June 1904 – 23 March 1964) was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.

He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film ''M''. Later he became a popular featured player in Hollywood crime films and mysteries, notably alongside Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet, and as the star of the successful Mr. Moto detective series.

Biography

Lorre was born as László Löwenstein into a Jewish family in Rózsahegy (Hungarian), Rosenberg (German), Kingdom of Hungary, part of Austria-Hungary, now Ružomberok, Slovakia. His parents were Alois Loewenstein and Elvira Freischberger. When he was a child his family moved to Vienna where Lorre attended school. He began acting on stage in Vienna at the age of 17, where he worked with Richard Teschner, then moved to Breslau, and Zürich. In the late 1920s, the young actor moved to Berlin where he worked with German playwright Bertolt Brecht, most notably in his ''Mann ist Mann''. He also appeared as Dr. Nakamura in the musical ''Happy End'' by Brecht and composer Kurt Weill, alongside Brecht's wife Helene Weigel and co-stars Carola Neher, Oskar Homolka and Kurt Gerron.

The German-speaking actor became famous when Fritz Lang cast him as a child killer in his 1931 film ''M''. In 1932 he appeared alongside Hans Albers in the science fiction film ''F.P.1 antwortet nicht'' about an artificial island in the mid-Atlantic. When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Lorre took refuge first in Paris and then London, where he was noticed by Ivor Montagu, Alfred Hitchcock's associate producer for ''The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934), who reminded the director about Lorre's performance in ''M''. They first considered him to play the assassin in the film, but wanted to use him in a larger role, despite his limited command of English, which Lorre overcame by learning much of his part phonetically. He also was featured in Hitchcock's ''Secret Agent'', in 1935.

Eventually, Lorre went to Hollywood, where he specialized in playing sinister foreigners, beginning with ''Mad Love'' (1935), directed by Karl Freund. He starred in a series of ''Mr. Moto'' movies, a parallel to the better known ''Charlie Chan'' series, in which he played John P. Marquand's seminal character, a Japanese detective and spy. He did not enjoy these films — and twisted his shoulder during a stunt in ''Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation'' — but they were lucrative for the studio and gained Lorre many new fans. In 1939, he was picked to play the role that would eventually go to Basil Rathbone in ''Son of Frankenstein''; Lorre had to decline the part due to illness.

In 1940, Lorre co-starred with fellow horror actors Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff in the Kay Kyser movie ''You'll Find Out''. Lorre enjoyed considerable popularity as a featured player in Warner Bros. suspense and adventure films. Lorre played the role of Joel Cairo in ''The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) and portrayed the character Ugarte in the film classic ''Casablanca'' (1942). Lorre branched out into comedy with the role of Dr. Einstein in ''Arsenic and Old Lace'' (filmed in 1941, released 1944). In 1946 he starred with Sydney Greenstreet and Geraldine Fitzgerald in ''Three Strangers'', a suspense film about three people who are joint partners on a winning lottery ticket.

In 1941, Peter Lorre became a naturalized citizen of the United States. After World War II, Lorre's acting career in Hollywood experienced a downturn, whereupon he concentrated on radio and stage work. In Germany he co-wrote, directed and starred in ''Der Verlorene'' (''The Lost One'') (1951), a critically acclaimed art film in the film noir style. He then returned to the United States where he appeared as a character actor in television and feature films, often spoofing his "creepy" image.

In 1954, he had the distinction of becoming the first actor to play a James Bond villain when he portrayed Le Chiffre in a television adaptation of ''Casino Royale'', opposite Barry Nelson as an American James Bond. (In the spoof-film version of ''Casino Royale'', Ronnie Corbett comments that SMERSH includes among its agents not only Le Chiffre, but also "Peter Lorre and Bela Lugosi".) Also in 1954, Lorre starred alongside Kirk Douglas and James Mason in ''20,000 Leagues under the Sea''.

A famous story is told in Hollywood that in 1956, both Lorre and Vincent Price attended Bela Lugosi's funeral. According to Price, Lorre asked him "Do you think we should drive a stake through his heart just in case?" However, according to Lugosi biographers Arthur Lennig and Gary Don Rhodes, neither actor attended Lugosi's funeral.

In 1959, Lorre appeared in NBC's espionage drama ''Five Fingers'', starring David Hedison, in the episode "Thin Ice". In the early 1960s he worked with Roger Corman on several low-budgeted, tongue-in-cheek, and very popular films. He appeared in a supporting role in the 1961 film, ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea''. In 1961, he was interviewed on the NBC program ''Here's Hollywood''.

Marriages and family

He was married three times: Celia Lovsky (1934 – 13 March 1945, divorced); Kaaren Verne (25 May 1945 – 1950, divorced) and Anne Marie Brenning (21 July 1953 – 23 March 1964, his death). In 1953, Anne Marie bore his only child, Catharine. His daughter Catharine made headlines after ''Hillside Strangler'' serial killer Kenneth Bianchi confessed to police investigators after his arrest that he and his cousin and partner in crime Angelo Buono had stopped Catharine Lorre disguised as police officers with the intent of abducting and murdering her in 1977, but after learning that she was the daughter of Peter Lorre, the pair let her go. It was only after Bianchi was arrested that Catharine Lorre realized whom she had met. Catharine died in 1985 of complications arising from diabetes.

In 1963 an actor named Eugene Weingand, who was unrelated to Lorre, attempted to trade on his slight resemblance to the actor by changing his name to "Peter Lorie", but his petition was rejected by the courts. After Lorre's death, however, he referred to himself as Lorre's son.

Health and death

Lorre had suffered for years from chronic gallbladder troubles, for which doctors had prescribed morphine. Lorre became trapped between the constant pain and addiction to morphine to ease the problem. It was during the period of the Moto films that Lorre struggled and overcame his addiction.

Overweight and never fully recovered from his addiction to morphine, Lorre suffered many personal and career disappointments in his later years. He died in 1964 of a stroke. Lorre's body was cremated and his ashes interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood. Vincent Price read the eulogy at his funeral.

Legacy and mimicry

Lorre has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6619 Hollywood Boulevard.

Lorre's distinctive accent and large-eyed face became a favorite target of comedians and cartoonists. For example, several Warner Bros. cartoons used a caricature of Lorre's face with an impression by Mel Blanc, including ''Birth of a Notion'', ''Hair-Raising Hare'' and ''Racketeer Rabbit''.

Books and comics

In the early 1940s, the adventures of ''Batman and Robin'' appeared in daily newspapers. One story, ''The Two-Bit Dictator of Twin Mills'', drawn by Batman co-creator Bob Kane, featured a hitman called Jojo who was, according to writer Al Schwartz, made to look like Lorre.

Films, television, and music

Musician and filker Tom Smith won a Pegasus award for Best Classic Filk Song in 2006 entitled "I Want to be Peter Lorre" which appears on his filk album "Homecoming: MarCon 2005", which includes his vocal impersonation of the actor.

The Jazz Butcher's song "Peter Lorre" was first featured on the group's ''Conspiracy'' album, which was released in May 1986.

The stop motion film ''Corpse Bride'' features "The Maggot", a small green worm who lives inside the title's character head. His features and voice (provided by Enn Reitel) are caricatures of Peter Lorre. "From the very beginning Tim wanted the Maggot to be a Peter Lorre-esque character, and we had a good time working with that and it went through various design changes," said co-director Mike Johnson in the book ''Tim Burton's Corpse Bride: An Invitation to the Wedding''.

On September 11, 2007 Brooklyn-based punk band The World/Inferno Friendship Society released a full-length album about Lorre called ''Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre's Twentieth Century'', which traces Lorre's film career, drug addiction, and death. It has been performed at the Famous Spiegeltent. The album was subsequently adapted into a multi-media stage production directed by Jay Scheib, which premiered at Webster Hall in New York City on January 9, 2009, and went on to play major arts festivals around the world, including Spoleto Festival USA (Charleston, SC), Luminato Festival (Toronto), Noorderzon Festival (Groningen, Holland) and Theaterformen (Hanover, Germany).

Filmography

''Die Verschwundene Frau'' (1929) (uncredited)

''Der weiße Teufel'' (1930) aka ''The White Devil''

''Mann ist Mann'' (1931) aka ''A Man's a Man''

''M'' (1931)

''Bomben auf Monte Carlo'' (1931) aka ''Bombs Over Monte Carlo''

''Die Koffer des Herrn O.F.'' (1931)

''Fünf von der Jazzband'' (1932)

''Schuß im Morgengrauen'' (1932)

''Der weiße Dämon'' (1932) aka ''Dope''

''Stupéfiants'' (1932)

''F.P.1 antwortet nicht'' (1932)

''Les Requins du pétrole'' (1933)

''Du haut en bas'' (1933)

''Was Frauen träumen'' (1933)

''Unsichtbare Gegner'' (1933)

''The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934)

''Mad Love'' (1935)

''Crime and Punishment'' (1935)

''Secret Agent'' (1936)

''Crack-Up'' (1936)

''Nancy Steele Is Missing!'' (1937)

''Think Fast, Mr. Moto'' (1937)

''Lancer Spy'' (1937)

''Thank You, Mr. Moto'' (1937)

''Mr. Moto's Gamble'' (1938)

''Mr. Moto Takes a Chance'' (1938)

''I'll Give a Million'' (1938)

''Mysterious Mr. Moto'' (1938)

''Mr. Moto's Last Warning'' (1939)

''Mr. Moto in Danger Island'' (1939)

''Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation'' (1939)

''Strange Cargo'' (1940)

''I Was an Adventuress'' (1940)

''Island of Doomed Men'' (1940)

''Stranger on the Third Floor'' (1940)

''You'll Find Out'' (1940)

''Der Ewige Jude'' (1940) (archive footage)

''The Face Behind the Mask'' (1941)

''Mr. District Attorney'' (1941)

''They Met in Bombay'' (1941)

''The Maltese Falcon'' (1941)

''All Through the Night'' (1941)

''Invisible Agent'' (1942)

''The Boogie Man Will Get You'' (1942)

''Casablanca'' (1942)

''The Constant Nymph'' (1943)

''Background to Danger'' (1943)

''The Cross of Lorraine'' (1943)

''Passage to Marseille'' (1944)

''The Mask of Dimitrios'' (1944)

''Arsenic and Old Lace'' (1944)

''The Conspirators'' (1944)

''Hollywood Canteen'' (1944)

''Hotel Berlin'' (1945)

''Confidential Agent'' (1945)

''Three Strangers'' (1946)

''Black Angel'' (1946)

''The Chase'' (1946)

''The Verdict'' (1946)

''The Beast with Five Fingers'' (1946)

''My Favorite Brunette'' (1947)

''Casbah'' (1948)

''Rope of Sand'' (1949)

''Quicksand'' (1950)

''Double Confession'' (1950)

''Der Verlorene'' (1951) (also wrote and directed)

''Beat the Devil'' (1953)

''Casino Royale'', a episode of the television series ''Climax!''

''20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' (1954)

''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (1956)

''Meet Me in Las Vegas'' (1956) (uncredited)

''Congo Crossing'' (1956)

''The Buster Keaton Story'' (1957)

''Silk Stockings'' (1957)

''The Story of Mankind'' (1957)

''The Sad Sack'' (1957)

''Hell Ship Mutiny'' (1957)

''The Big Circus'' (1959)

''Scent of Mystery'' (1960)

''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1961)

''Tales of Terror'' (1962)

''Five Weeks in a Balloon'' (1962)

''The Raven'' (1963)

''The Comedy of Terrors'' (1964)

''Muscle Beach Party'' (1964)

''The Patsy'' (1964)

References

Further reading

External links

Watch Peter Lorre in Fritz Lang's M

The Lorre Library of Sound

The Peter Lorre Companion

Photographs of Peter Lorre

The Lodger on Mystery in the Air, 1947, starring Peter Lorre and Agnes Moorehead

Listen to Jack Benny Show 1941-03-09 (402) Guest Peter Lorre - Murder at the Racquet Club

Listen to Jack Benny Podcast 1946-03-24 (579) Guest Peter Lorre - I Stand Condemned

Mystery in the Air (1947)

Category:1904 births Category:1964 deaths Category:20th-century American people Category:20th-century Austrian people Category:20th-century Hungarian people Category:20th-century actors Category:Jewish actors Category:American film actors Category:Austrian film actors Category:Hungarian film actors Category:Hungarian Jews Category:Hungarian emigrants to the United States Category:Austrian emigrants to the United States Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:American people of Austrian-Jewish descent Category:American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent Category:People from Ružomberok Category:Deaths from stroke Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

ar:بيتر لور ast:Peter Lorre ca:Peter Lorre da:Peter Lorre de:Peter Lorre es:Peter Lorre eu:Peter Lorre fr:Peter Lorre gl:Peter Lorre id:Peter Lorre it:Peter Lorre he:פיטר לורה hu:Peter Lorre nl:Peter Lorre ja:ピーター・ローレ no:Peter Lorre pl:Peter Lorre pt:Peter Lorre ru:Петер Лорре simple:Peter Lorre sk:Peter Lorre sh:Peter Lorre fi:Peter Lorre sv:Peter Lorre tr:Peter Lorre

Birth date	March 25, 1919
Birth place	New York City, New York, USA
Death date	December 07, 1984
Death place	Newport Beach, California, USA
Occupation	Film, television actress
Spouse	Jack Morrison}}

Jeanne Carolyn Cagney (March 25, 1919 – December 7, 1984) was an American film and television actress.

Biography

She was born in New York City, the younger sister of film actor James Cagney and actor/producer William Cagney. She married Jack Morrison on June 6, 1953; they had two children. She died in Newport Beach, California from lung cancer, aged 65.

She appeared in 19 films between 1939 and 1965, including four films with James Cagney: ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' (1942), ''The Time of Your Life'' (1948), ''A Lion Is in the Streets'' (1953) and ''Man of a Thousand Faces'' (1957). Cagney gave a noted performance opposite Mickey Rooney in ''Quicksand'' (1950).

External links

Category:1919 births Category:1984 deaths Category:Actors from New York Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Cancer deaths in California Category:Deaths from lung cancer Category:American people of Irish descent Category:People from New York City

fr:Jeanne Cagney ru:Кэгни, Джинн

name	Barbara Bates
birth date	August 06, 1925
birth place	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
death date	March 18, 1969
death place	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
occupation	Actress
years active	1945–62
spouse	}}

Barbara Bates (August 6, 1925 – March 18, 1969) was an American actress best known for her role as Phoebe in the 1950 drama ''All About Eve''.

Early life

The eldest of three daughters, Bates was born in Denver, Colorado. While growing up in Denver, she studied ballet and worked as a teen fashion model. The shy teen was persuaded to enter a local beauty contest and won, receiving two round-trip train tickets to Hollywood, California. Two days before returning to Denver, Bates met Cecil Coan, a United Artists publicist, who would ultimately change the course of her life.

Career

In September 1944, Bates signed a contract with Universal Pictures after Cecil Coan introduced her to producer Walter Wanger. Soon after, she was cast as one of the "Seven Salome Girls" in the 1945 drama, ''Salome Where She Danced'' starring Yvonne De Carlo. Around this time, she fell in love with Coan, who was married with two sons and two daughters. In March 1945, Coan divorced his wife and secretly married Bates days later. Bates spent the next few years as a stock actress, landing bit parts in movies and doing cheesecake layouts for magazines like ''Yank, the Army Weekly'' and ''Life''. It was one of those photo sessions that caught the eye of executives at Warner Bros. who signed her in 1947. Warner Bros. highlighted her "girl-next-door" image and her acting career took off. She appeared with some of the biggest stars of the day including Bette Davis in ''June Bride'' and Danny Kaye in ''The Inspector General''.

In 1949, Bates' contract with Warner Bros. was terminated when she refused to go to New York to promote ''The Inspector General''. Despite being fired by Warner Bros., she quickly signed a contract with 20th Century Fox later that year. In 1950, she landed her most memorable role in ''All About Eve''. She made a short but important appearance as the devious schemer, Phoebe. Bates' image is enshrined in the film's last scene, posing in front of a three-way mirror, while holding the award won by her idol Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter). This memorable final scene left critics and audiences intrigued by the young actress.

After her appearance in ''All About Eve'', Bates co-starred in ''Cheaper by the Dozen'', and its sequel ''Belles on Their Toes'', with Jeanne Crain and Myrna Loy. In 1951, she landed a role opposite MacDonald Carey and Claudette Colbert in the comedy, ''Let's Make It Legal''.

Decline

Despite a seemingly successful career, Bates' life, both on and off screen, started unraveling. She became a victim of extreme mood swings, insecurity, ill health, and chronic depression. In 1954, she landed the role of Cathy on the NBC sitcom ''It's a Great Life'', co-starring Frances Bavier as her mother, Amy Morgan, and James Dunn as her uncle, Earl Morgan. After seven episodes, she was written out of the show because of her erratic behavior and depression. Bates tried to salvage her career and traveled to England to find work. She was signed on as a contract player with the Rank Organisation, only to drop out of two leading roles in one month. Bates continued to be too emotionally unstable to work and in 1957, her contract with the Rank Organisation was canceled. Her last onscreen appearance would come in an episode of ''The Saint'' that aired in November 1962.

In 1960, Bates and her husband moved back to the United States and got an apartment in Beverly Hills. Later that year, Coan was diagnosed with cancer. Bates remained devoted to her husband and rarely left his bedside, but the strain was too much for her. She attempted suicide by slashing her wrists and was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Hospital where she soon recovered.

Death

In January 1967, Bates' husband Cecil Coan died of cancer. Devastated by his death, Bates' depression worsened and she again became suicidal. Later that year, she retreated back to Denver and fell out of public view. For a time, Bates worked as a secretary, a dental assistant, and as a hospital aide. In December 1968, she married for the second time to a childhood friend, sportscaster William Reed. Despite her new marriage and location, Bates remained increasingly despondent and depressed.

On March 18, 1969, just months after her marriage to Reed, Barbara Bates committed suicide in her mother's garage by carbon monoxide poisoning. She was 43 years old.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1945	''Strange Holiday''	Peggy Lee Stevenson	Alternative titles: ''Terror on Main Street''''The Day After Tomorrow''
1945	''Salome Where She Danced''	Salmone girl	Uncredited
1945	''Lady on a Train''	Hat Check Girl	Uncredited
1945	''This Love of Ours''	Mrs. Dailey	Uncredited
1945	''The Crimson Canary''	Girl	Uncredited
1946	''A Night in Paradise''	Palace Maiden	Uncredited
1947	''The Fabulous Joe''	Debbie Terkel
1947	''The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival''	Debbie Terkle, in ''Fabulous Joe''
1947	''Always Together''	Ticket Seller	Uncredited
1948	''April Showers''	Secretary	Uncredited
1948	''Romance on the High Seas''	Stewardess	UncreditedAlternative title: ''It's Magic''
1948		Gracie Anderson	Uncredited
1948	''June Bride''	Jeanne Brinker
1948	''Adventures of Don Juan''		UncreditedAlternative title: ''The New Adventures of Don Juan''
1949	''One Last Fling''	June Payton
1949	''The House Across the Street''	Beth Roberts
1949		Leza
1950		Helen Calder
1950		Ernestine Gilbreth
1950	''All About Eve''	Phoebe
1951	''I'd Climb the Highest Mountain''	Jenny Brock
1951	''The Secret of Convict Lake''	Barbara Purcell
1951	''Let's Make It Legal''	Barbara Denham
1952		Ernestine Gilbreth
1952	''The Outcasts of Poker Flat''	Piney Wilson
1953	''All Ashore''	Jane Stanton
1953	''The Caddy''	Lisa Anthony
1953	''The Revlon Mirror Theater''		Episode: "Summer Dance"
1954		Effie Cahill
1954–1955	''It's a Great Life''	Cathy "Katy" Morgan	26 episodes
1955		Marian Curtis	Episode: "The Uncle Robby Story"
1955	''Studio 57''	Elaine Hilton	Episode: "Night Tune"
1956	''House of Secrets''	Judy Anderson	Alternative title: ''Triple Deception''
1957	''Town on Trial''	Elizabeth Fenner
1958	''Apache Territory''	Jennifer Fair
1962		Helen Ravenna	Episode: "The Loaded Tourist"

References

External links

Category:Actors from Denver, Colorado Category:Actors who committed suicide Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Female suicides Category:Suicides by carbon monoxide poisoning Category:Suicides in Colorado Category:1925 births Category:1969 deaths

de:Barbara Bates fr:Barbara Bates sr:Барбара Бејтс