Hollywood legend Tony Curtis has passed away aged 85 after suffering cardiac arrest at his Nevada home late last night, as confirmed this morning by representatives of his daughter Jamie Lee Curtis. Born in New York in 1925, Curtis served in the United States Navy during WWII before studying acting at New York’s Dramatic Workshop alongside the likes of Walter Matthau and Rod Steiger. He made his screen debut with an uncredited appearance in the 1949 film noir Criss Cross before going on to enjoy a long and illustrious career with over a hundred film and television credits to his name.
Curtis made a name for himself in the 1950s as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and sought-after stars with roles in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and The Defiant Ones (1958), for which he received his only Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He then went on to star alongside Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe in Billy Wilder’s classic comedy Some Like It Hot (1959), while later roles included a supporting turn in Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus (1960) and a critically acclaimed performance as notorious murderer Albert DeSalvo in The Boston Strangler (1968).
Originally published September 30, 2010. Updated April 10, 2018.
