Lemmon Jack: Filmography, biography, photo

Lemmon Jack is a talented American actor who is a two-time Oscar winner, a winner of the Golden Globe and other awards. And although he was at the peak of popularity in the distant 50-60-ies, his fame still has not lost its former relevance. About that, who is Lemmon, about his biography, filmography, merits and demerits, we will tell in this article.

Childhood, family and study of the actor

Born future actor John Uler Lemmon III in the family of the president of a large donut company in early February 1925 in Newton , Massachusetts. In addition to Jack, the family no longer had children. But this lack was more than compensated by parents, having surrounded the boy with their care and love.

Uler himself was not too happy about excessive parental care. On the contrary, since the age of eight he dreamed of becoming an actor and craved independence. And such a chance he introduced himself immediately after the family gave the boy to study at the Massachusetts elite private school named after Phillips. Upon its completion, young Jack Lemmon submitted his documents to Harvard. By the way, nee John Uler Lemmon III is one of the few American actors who received a prestigious Harvard education. And right after the university the grown-up youth went to serve in the fleet, where he stayed exactly one year.

Dawn of the acting career

According to Jack, his acting skills were evident even while studying at the university. During this period, he actively participated in the creative life of the student group and played small roles in the local theater. Then he was invited to work on radio, and later on television.

During the next live broadcast in 1949, he was noticed by one of the directors Michael Curtis, who invited a young talent for the film for The Lady Takes a Sailor (translated from English "The Lady Takes a Sailor"). Jack Lemmon (photo it can be seen below) agreed, and after a small check was unconditionally approved for a small role, making a lively competition for Dennis Morgan and Jane Wyman.

And although the first actor's debut did not produce the proper effect on either critics or viewers, he continued to do his favorite thing. Success and fame came to Lemmon closer to 1954. At this time he was invited to one of the main roles in the movie called It Should Happen to You ("This must happen to you").

The following year, actor Jack Lemmon starred in the military tragicomedy Mister Roberts ("Mr. Roberts"), and this role helped the artist to receive the long-awaited "Oscar" in the category "Best Supporting Actor".

The flow of proposals and cooperation with Billy Wilder

Since the moment Jack became famous and received his first award, his acting career has gone up with confident steps. However, according to the most newly-celebrated celebrity, all these roles could not reflect the real talent of the actor, since they were the same type. Jack himself did not want to be a "clowning clown". He wanted to play someone special who partially reflected the artist's inner world. Strangely enough, but such a role was found. Said it, Billy Wilder - director, with whom Lemmon had not cooperated before.

This time, Lemmon Jack was supposed to play a mischievous musician, who accidentally became a witness of gangster disassembly and forced to hide from the mafia in a spectacular female image. By the way, the other roles of the artist, one way or another, were similar to the image of Jerry ("Daphne"), because he had to play "people from the street", who by chance accident in various difficult situations and are eagerly seeking a way out of them.

As a result, the comedy "In Jazz Only Girls", which also starred Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis, allowed the artist to claim a new "Oscar" and laid the foundation for creative collaboration with the new director.

According to preliminary data, such a union lasted until 1981. The last picture of Wilder, in which Lemmon Jack was pleased to participate, was the tape "Friend-friend".

Among the most successful roles Lemmon, offered him a new director, were the images of charismatic characters in the comedy "The Flat" and the film adaptation of the vaudeville "Gentle Irma." It's interesting that in both films of Jack's partner, the beauty of Shirley MacLaine became.

A successful comedy union

In early 1964, Lemmon Jack met with the beautiful actor Walter Matthau, with whom they became best friends. Their communication began with a comedy show, and later with the same film "Strange Couple."

Later, their union continued in a number of other films, among them "Happy Ticket", "Old Grumblers" and "Old grumblers raged". For his thirty years of cooperation, this wonderful comedy duo has become the most successful and recognizable in the history of the American film industry.

Dramatic roles and partial change of roles

Later, Jack came out of a beautiful comic line, giving preference to more serious dramatic roles. For example, the film of Blake Edwards Days of Wine and Roses ("Days of Wine and Roses"), where the actor got the image of a man who openly abused alcohol. By the way, this role brought in the actor's coin another award from the film academy.

His second "Oscar" Jack Lemmon (biography of the actor is saturated with receiving awards) was after he played the lead role in another drama called "Save the Tiger." It's interesting that most of the movie box office went to charity, and the actor, he said, agreed to play almost free.

Jack Lemmon: filmography

Among the most striking films with Lemmon's participation, many of which were also awarded, there are the following:

• "Thirty-three misfortunes" (1962);
• "The Great Race" (1965);
• "How to sew my little wife" (1965);
• "Airport 77" (1977);
• "12 angry men" (1997);
• "Reap the storm" (1998);
• "Tuesdays with Mori" (1999) and others.

Later roles and rewards actor

After 1970, Jack almost did not appear on the movie screens. His roles were mostly episodic and almost did not stand out. However, even these small works allowed the actor to win awards and prizes. Thus, most of the admirers of his talent most remember the role of the artist in the film "Chinese Syndrome" by Michael Douglas. For the role in this film, Jack was awarded the honorary prize of audience sympathy, handed to him during the Cannes Film Festival in 1979. A similar award was given to the actor for his participation in the film "Missing" by the director Kosta-Gavras.

In 1992, Lemmon starred in a small role as a traveling salesman of advanced years in the movie "The Americans". This image also did not go unnoticed, and during the Venice Film Festival he received an honorary award - the Volpi Cup. In late 1998, Jack was nominated for the Golden Globe, but lost to another actor Ving Rames. However, the unexpected happened. Wyn, who received the prize, summoned Lemmon out of the hall and gave the audience his award to him under enthusiastic cries of the audience.

About the personal life of the actor

Lemmon was married twice. For the first time, her chosen one was actress Cynthia Stone, from the marriage of which the couple had a son, Chris, who later played the main role in the series "Thunder in Paradise". The second time he fell in love with the actress Felicia Far. And shortly after the wedding they had a daughter who they called Courtney.

The tragic death and funeral of the actor

Despite all his external optimism, the actor was deeply unhappy. He suffered from cancer, which he fought for a long time, but he could not beat him. In the summer of 2001, the actor died suddenly and was buried next to the formerly deceased Walter Matthau. That's how two friends who were friends during their lifetime remained faithful to each other after their death. The memory of them will be eternal.