Tony Curtis
Born
June 3, 1925
Died
September 29, 2010 (85 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Bronx, New York, USA
Tony Curtis (June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances.
Although his early film roles were partly the result of his good looks, by the later half of the 1950's he became a notable and strong screen presence. He began proving himself to be a “fine dramatic actor,” having the range to act in numerous dramatic and comedy roles. In his earliest parts he acted in a string of "mediocre" films, including swashbucklers, westerns, light comedies, sports films, and a musical. However, by the time he starred in Houdini (1953) with his wife Janet Leigh, "his first clear success," notes critic David Thomson, his acting had progressed immensely.
He won his first serious recognition as a skilled dramatic actor in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with co-star Burt Lancaster. The following year he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in another drama, The Defiant Ones (1958). Curtis then gave what many believe was his best acting, in a completely different role, the comedy Some Like It Hot (1959). Thomson calls it an "outrageous film," and it was voted the number 1 funniest film in history from a survey done by the American Film Institute. It costarred Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, and was directed by Billy Wilder. That was followed by Blake Edwards’ comedy Operation Petticoat (1959) with Cary Grant. They were both “frantic comedies,” and displayed "his impeccable comic timing." He often collaborated with Edwards on later films.
His most significant serious part came in 1968 when he starred in the true-life drama The Boston Strangler, which some consider his "last major film role." The part reinforced his reputation as a serious actor with his "chilling portrayal" of serial killer Albert DeSalvo. He gained 30 pounds and had his face "rebuilt" with a false nose to look like the real DeSalvo.
Curtis was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis by his first wife, actress Janet Leigh.
Known For
From Roger Moore with Love
Self (archive footage)
2024
Rat Pack
Self (archive footage)
2022
The UnXplained
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2019
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2014
And the Oscar Goes To...
Self (archive footage)
2014
Talking Pictures
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2013
Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
Self
2012
That's Insignificance
Self
2011
Tony Curtis erzählt...
Self
2010
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Eric (archive footage) (uncredited)
2010
Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved
Self
2010
Marilyn Monroe: Death of an Icon
Self
2010
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel
Self
2009
David & Fatima
Mr. Schwartz
2008
Shrink Rap
Himself · (1 episode)
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
The One Show
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
2006
The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'
Self
2006
The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'
Self
2006
Jerry Lewis - König der Komödianten
Self (archive footage)
2006
Hollywood Legenden
Self
2004
Hugh Hefner: American Playboy
Self
2003
Hope & Faith
Morris · (1 episode)
2003
Un film et son époque
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Reflections of Evil
Host
2002
Nobody's Perfect - The Making of Some Like It Hot
Self
2001
Rescued from the Closet
Self
2001
Tony Curtis on 'Some Like It Hot'
Self
2001
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Tony Curtis · (1 episode)
2000
Play It to the Bone
Tony Curtis (Ringside Fan)
1999
Roxanne's Best Christmas Ever
Bernard (voice)
1998
Louis & Frank
Lenny Star Springer
1998
Stargames
King Fendel
1998
The Johannes B. Kerner Show
Self · (1 episode)
1998
Elvis Meets Nixon
Tony Curtis
1997
The View
Self · (1 episode)
1997
The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man
Jack Steele
1997
Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball
Wald
1997
Suddenly Susan
Peter DiCaprio · (1 episode)
1996
The Celluloid Closet
Self
1996
Roger Moore: A Matter of Class
Self
1995
The Immortals
Dominic
1995
The Mrs Merton Show
Self · (1 episode)
1995
Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor
Johnny Steele
1994
Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit
Lucky Bergstrom
1994
A Century of Cinema
Self
1994
Naked in New York
Carl Fisher
1993
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
(1 episode)
1993
The Mummy Lives
Aziru / Dr. Mohassid
1993
Christmas in Connecticut
Alexander Yardley
1992
Center of the Web
Stephen Moore
1992
Joseph Cornell: Worlds in a Box
Narrator (voice) / Self
1991
Prime Target
Copella
1991
Thanksgiving Day
Max Schloss
1990
Lobster Man from Mars
J.P. Shelldrake
1990
Walter and Carlo in America
WIlly La Rouge
1989
Midnight
Mr. B
1989
Tarzan in Manhattan
Archimedes Porter
1989
Roseanne
(1 episode)
1988
This Morning
Self · (1 episode)
1988
The Passenger – Welcome to Germany
Mr. Cornfield
1988
The Dame Edna Experience
Self · (1 episode)
1987
Sacrée soirée
Self · (1 episode)
1987
Matin Bonheur
Self · (1 episode)
1987
Sparky's Magic Piano
1987
Murder in Three Acts
Charles Cartwright
1986
Banter
Charles Foster
1986
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
Self
1986
Club Life
Hector
1986
Mafia Princess
Sam Giancana
1986
Insignificance
The Senator
1985
Half Nelson
1985
Goldene Kamera Verleihung
Self · (1 episode)
1984
Where Is Parsifal?
Parsifal Katzanella-Boden
1984
BrainWaves
Dr. Clavius
1983
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
Balboa
Ernie Stoddard
1983
Black Commando
Col. Iago
1982
Portrait of a Showgirl
Joey DeLeon
1982
Magic with the Stars
Harry Houdini (archive footage) (uncredited)
1982
The Million Dollar Face
Chester Masterson
1981
Wetten, dass..?
Self · (1 episode)
1981
Inmates: A Love Story
Flanagan
1981
The Mirror Crack'd
Martin N. Fenn
1980
It Rained All Night the Day I Left
Robert Talbot
1980
The Scarlett O'Hara War
David O. Selznick
1980
Little Miss Marker
Blackie
1980
The Masqueraders
Danny Wilde
1980
Title Shot
Frank Renzetti
1979
Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration
Self
1979
Death Becomes Me
Danny Wilde/Aunt Sophie Schwartz
1979
The Users
Randy Brent
1978
Vega$
Roth · (23 episodes)
1978
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan
Marvin Lazar
1978
The Manitou
Harry Erskine
1978
Sextette
Alexei Karansky
1978
The Hollywood Greats
(2 episodes)
1977
The Last Appointment!
Danny Wilde
1977
Please Turn the Page
Self · (1 episode)
1977
Casanova & Co.
Giacomo Casanova / Giacomino
1977
The Last Tycoon
Rodriguez
1976
The Switch
Danny Wilde
1976
The Count of Monte-Cristo
Fernand Morcerf Mondego
1975
Lepke
Louis 'Lepke' Buchalter
1975
McCoy
McCoy · (4 episodes)
1975
Sporting Chance
Danny Wilde
1975
Dinah!
Self · (1 episode)
1974
London Conspiracy
Danny Wilde
1974
Mission: Monte Carlo
Danny Wilde
1974
The Third Girl from the Left
Joey Jordan
1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self · (2 episodes)
1973
The Persuaders!
Danny Wilde
1973
The Persuaders!
Danny Wilde · (24 episodes)
1971
V.I.P. Schaukel
Self · (1 episode)
1971
Norman Jewison, Film Maker
Self (uncredited)
1971
Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?
Shannon Gambroni
1970
You Can't Win 'Em All
Adam Dyer
1970
Bracken's World
(1 episode)
1969
Monte Carlo or Bust!
Chester Schofield
1969
The Boston Strangler
Albert DeSalvo
1968
Rosemary's Baby
Donald Baumgart (voice) (uncredited)
1968
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1968
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self · (8 episodes)
1968
On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who...
Guerrando da Montone
1967
Don't Make Waves
Carlo Cofield
1967
Arrivederci, Baby!
Nick Johnson
1966
Not With My Wife, You Don't
Tom Ferris
1966
Chamber of Horrors
Mr. Julian
1966
Boeing, Boeing
Bernard Lawrence
1965
The Great Race
The Great Leslie
1965
Sex and the Single Girl
Bob Weston
1964
Goodbye Charlie
George Wellington Tracy
1964
Wild and Wonderful
Terry Williams
1964
Paris When It Sizzles
Actor Portraying Maurice or Philippe (uncredited)
1964
Captain Newman, M.D.
Cpl. Jackson "Jake" Leibowitz
1963
The List of Adrian Messenger
Organ Grinder
1963
40 Pounds of Trouble
Steve McCluskey
1962
Taras Bulba
Andrei Bulba
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · (4 episodes)
1962
The Outsider
Ira Hamilton Hayes
1961
The Great Impostor
Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. / Martin Donner / Dr. Gilbert / Ben. W. Stone / Dr. Joseph Mornay / Robert Boyd Hammnd
1960
Pepe
Tony Curtis
1960
Spartacus
Antoninus
1960
The Flintstones
Stony Curtis (voice) · (1 episode)
1960
The Rat Race
Pete Hammond Jr.
1960
Who Was That Lady?
David Wilson
1960
People, Hopes, Medals
Self
1960
Operation Petticoat
Lieutenant Nicholas Holden
1959
Some Like It Hot
Joe (Josephine)
1959
The Perfect Furlough
Cpl. Paul Hodges
1958
The Defiant Ones
John 'Joker' Jackson
1958
Kings Go Forth
Caporal Britt Harris
1958
The Vikings
Eric
1958
Sweet Smell of Success
Sidney Falco
1957
The Midnight Story
Joe Martini
1957
Mister Cory
Cory
1957
The Rawhide Years
Ben Matthews
1956
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Recipient · (1 episode)
1956
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1956
Trapeze
Tino Orsini
1956
The Rosemary Clooney Show
Self · (1 episode)
1956
Nightmare
Tony
1956
The Square Jungle
Eddie Quaid / Packy Glennon
1955
Allen in Movieland
Self
1955
The Purple Mask
Rene de Traviere / The Purple Mask
1955
Six Bridges to Cross
Jerry Florea
1955
So This Is Paris
Joe Maxwell
1954
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Self
1954
The Black Shield of Falworth
Myles Falworth
1954
Johnny Dark
Johnny Dark
1954
Miss Glucksman Visits Hollywood
1954
Beachhead
Burke
1954
Forbidden
Eddie Darrow
1953
The All American
Nick Bonelli
1953
Houdini
Harry Houdini
1953
The Oscars
Self · (4 episodes)
1953
General Electric Theater
Mario Galindo · (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
David · (1 episode)
1953
The World's Most Beautiful Girls
Self
1953
This Is Your Life
Self · (1 episode)
1952
Son of Ali Baba
Kashma Baba
1952
Flesh and Fury
Paul Callan
1952
No Room for the Groom
Alvah Morrell
1952
Meet Danny Wilson
Nightclub Patron
1952
An Eye for an Eye
1952
Come Back Little Shiksa
1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Charlie · (1 episode)
1951
The Re-Inforcer
Baffo
1951
The Prince Who Was a Thief
Julna
1951
Fairfax Avenue
1951
Kansas Raiders
Kit Dalton
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (4 episodes)
1950
Winchester '73
Doan
1950
Sierra
Brent Coulter (as Anthony Cutis)
1950
I Was a Shoplifter
Pepe
1950
Francis
Captain Jones
1950
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest · (1 episode)
1950
Woman in Hiding
Dave Shaw (voice) (uncredited)
1950
The Lady Gambles
Bellboy (as Anthony Curtis)
1949
Johnny Stool Pigeon
Joey Hyatt (as Anthony Curtis)
1949
City Across the River
Mitch (as Anthony Curtis)
1949
Criss Cross
Gigolo (uncredited)
1949
How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border
1949
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (3 episodes)
1948
Bambi-Verleihung
Self · (2 episodes)
1948