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Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925 โ 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 more than 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.
Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz, the eldest of 3 children of Helen (Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz, Jewish immigrants from Hungary. Curtis himself stated that while he had almost no formal education, he was a student of the "school of hard knocks&quo
Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925 โ 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 more than 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.
Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz, the eldest of 3 children of Helen (Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz, Jewish immigrants from Hungary. Curtis himself stated that while he had almost no formal education, he was a student of the "school of hard knocks", and learned from a young age that the only person who ever had his back was himself, so he learned how to take care of both himself and younger brother Julius. Curtis grew up in poverty, as his father Emanuel, who worked as a tailor, had the sole responsibility of providing for his entire family on his meager income. This led to constant bickering between Curtis' parents over money, and Curtis began to go to movies as a way of briefly escaping the constant worries of poverty and other family problems.
Although his early film roles were partly the result of his good looks, by the later half of the 1950s 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.
Curtis was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis by his first wife, actress Janet Leigh.
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Tags: Jewish (19), Jew (18), Hebrew (18), Born 1925 (5), Actor (4), Died 2010 (4), American (3), Lead Actor (2), Cute (2), Blue Eyes (2), Old Hollywood (2), Male (2), Talented (2), World War II Veteran (1), Military (1), Handome (1), Janet Leigh (1), Actress Daughter (1), Died Aged 85 (1), Feminine (1)
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