Name: Jack Lemmon
Date of Birth: 8 February 1925 An accomplished, self-taught pianist, he wrote the theme for the movie Tribute (1980) and played jazz in a Bobby Short TV special. Ranked #47 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] His son, Chris Lemmon, appeared with him in Airport '77 (1977). Son, Chris Lemmon, with Cynthia Stone. Daughter, Courtney Lemmon (b. 1966), with Felicia Farr. Born at 2:00pm-EST. Lemmon admitted to having had a serious drinking problem at one time, which is one reason he looks back on his Oscar-winning role as Harry Stoner in Save the Tiger (1973) as perhaps the most gratifying, emotionally fulfilling performance of his career. ... He was pleasantly shocked by Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames in 1998 when Rhames called him up to the stage and all but gave him the award for Best Actor in a TV Movie, which he had just won, to express his admiration to the veteran actor. Described his flamboyant, authoritarian mother as "Tallulah Bankhead on a road show." Laughed about how she used to hang out with her girlfriends at the Ritz Bar in Boston and how she tried to have her cremation ashes placed on the bar (the management refused). Since his middle initial was U., he had to deal with ribbing from kids who taunted him with, "Jack, u lemon". In Harvard, he was in Navy ROTC and graduated with a degree in "War Service Sciences." He studied with Uta Hagen, and considers her his prime early mentor. Lemmon's dad, a bakery executive, didn't approve of his son taking up acting, but told him he should continue with it only as long as he felt passion for it, adding: "The day I don't find romance in a loaf of bread..." His dying words to Jack were: "Spread a little sunshine." Was born February 8, 1925, in an elevator at a Newton, Massachusetts, hospital. 1947 graduate of Harvard University. Lemmon passed away four days shy of one year after his frequent co-star, Walter Matthau. Was president of the Harvard Hasty Pudding Club. Graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, in 1943. During WW II, he served in the Naval Reserve and was the communications officer on the USS Lake Champlain. Before any take he would say, "It's magic time." Is a recipient of the Connor Award, an award given to someone who displays an excellence in the communicative arts, handed out by the brothers of the fraternity Phi Alpha Tau from Emerson College in Boston. Was good friends with Walter Matthau. He was voted the 33rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. He once had a Baskin-Robbins ice cream flavor named after him: "Jack Lemmon". It was still being produced in the early 1980s but has since been discontinued and is not listed on the Baskin-Robbins website. Appeared on an episode of "The Simpsons" (1989), in which he convinced Marge to get into the pretzel business. Shelley Levene, his character from Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), was the inspiration for another Simpsons character, the usually jobless Gil, who Marge first met while working at a real estate firm. He was voted the 45th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine. Did all of his own stunts for My Fellow Americans (1996). First actor to win two "Best Actor" Award at the Cannes Film Festival. (Dean Stockwell won twice at the festival before, but he had to share both of his awards with his co-stars) He and Walter Matthau acted together in 10 movies: Buddy Buddy (1981), The Fortune Cookie (1966), The Front Page (1974), The Grass Harp (1995), Grumpier Old Men (1995), Grumpy Old Men (1993), JFK (1991), The Odd Couple II (1998), The Odd Couple (1968) and Out to Sea (1997). Lemmon also directed Matthau in Kotch (1971). Billy Wilder directed him in 7 movies: The Apartment (1960), Avanti! (1972), Buddy Buddy (1981), The Fortune Cookie (1966), The Front Page (1974), Irma la Douce (1963) and Some Like It Hot (1959). He and The China Syndrome (1979) co-stars Michael Douglas and Jane Fonda have all won Oscars for Leading Roles. Lemmon won for Save the Tiger (1973), Fonda won for Klute (1971), and Douglas won for Wall Street (1987). His headstone reads "Jack Lemmon in". Appears in Mister Roberts (1955) with Henry Fonda, in which he takes over Fonda's position of Morale Officer when Fonda is transferred off the USS Reluctant. In 12 Angry Men (1997) (TV), Lemmon plays the same juror that Fonda played in the original. His performance as Jerry/Daphne in Some Like It Hot (1959) is ranked #65 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). A passionate but unskilled golfer who tried for 33 years to make the cut at Pebble Beach but didn't. Starred opposite Henry Fonda in Mister Roberts (1955) in 1955 and opposite Henry's daughter, Jane Fonda, in The China Syndrome (1979) in 1979. His performance as Jerry/Daphne in Some Like It Hot (1959) is ranked #29 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. Father-in-law of Gina Raymond and Peter McCrea. Owner of Jalem Productions, which co-produced many of his films as well as Cool Hand Luke (1967) starring Paul Newman. The only actor to be offered the role of George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) before Richard Burton was cast. He accepted the role but quickly changed his mind the next day without offering any explanation. Holds the record for most Golden Globe nominations for acting, including both actors and actresses (22 total). Best remembered by the public for his roles playing the "average Joe" and for his many roles opposite good friend Walter Matthau. During his early days as a contract player with Warner Bros., studio head Jack L. Warner wanted Lemmon to change his screen name to "Jack Lennon." Warner feared that critics would make use of Lemmon's last name (i.e., "Jack Lemmon's performance in the film is a lemon."). Lemmon convinced Warner if he changed his name to "Lennon," everyone would think that he was related to V.I. Lenin, the founder of Soviet Communism (this was the 1950s, the time of the McCarthy "Red Scare", and years before the appearance of John Lennon and The Beatles). Referring to Vladimir Lenin, Warner told Lemmon, "No, that's wrong. They pronounce his name 'Len-IN." "No," Lemmon replied, firmly. "It's pronounced 'LEN-in." After making a phone call to a Russian associate, who confirmed that Lenin's name was pronounced "LEN-in",' Warner agreed to let Lemmon keep his own name. Kevin Spacey dedicated his Oscar for American Beauty (1999) to Lemmon. Openly admitted on "Inside the Actors Studio" (1994) that he was an alcoholic. His father, John Uhler Lemmon II has an uncredited role in The Notorious Landlady (1962). Nominated twice for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Drama in 1979 for "Tribute" and in 1986 for "Long Day's Journey Into Night" for his stage work on Broadway. Read more Jack Lemmon movies (actor)User Comments |
