Jack Lemmon

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Birthday:

8 February 1925, Newton, Massachusetts, USA

Birth Name:

John Uhler Lemmon III

Height:

175 cm

Jack Lemmon was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to Mildred Burgess LaRue (Noel) and John Uhler Lemmon, Jr., the president of a doughnut company. His ancestry included Irish (from his paternal grandmother) and English. Jack attended Ward Elementary near his Newton, MA home. At age 9 he was sent to Rivers Country Day School, then located in nearby Brookline. After RCDS, he went to high school at Phillips Andover Academy. Jack was a member of the Harvard class of 1947, where he was in Navy ROTC and the Dramatic Club. After service as a Navy ensign, he worked in a beer hall (playing piano), on radio, off Broadway, TV and Broadway. His movie debut was with Judy Holliday in It Should Happen to You (1954). He won Best Supporting Actor as Ensign Pulver in Mister Roberts (1955). He received nominations in comedy (Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960)) and drama (Days of Wine and Roses (1962), The China Syndrome (1979), Tribute (1980) and Missing (1982)). He won the Best Actor Oscar for Save the Tiger (1973) and the Cannes Best Actor award for "Syndrome" and "Missing". He made his debut as a director with Kotch (1971) and in 1985 on Broadway in "Long Day's Journey into Night". In 1988 he received the Life Achievement Award of the American Film Institute. Show less «

[accepting his award at the 2000 Golden Globes] In the spirit of Ving Rhames, I'm going to give this award to Jack Lemmon.

If you think it's difficult to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.

The worst part about being me is when people want me to make them laugh.

I won't quit until I get run over by a truck, a producer or a critic.

It's hard enough to write a good drama, it's much harder to write a good comedy, and it's hardest of all to write a drama with comedy. Which...Show more »

It's hard enough to write a good drama, it's much harder to write a good comedy, and it's hardest of all to write a drama with comedy. Which is what life is. Show less «

Nobody deserves this much money - certainly not an actor.

[on Marilyn Monroe] Difficult? Yes. But she was a wonderful comedienne and she had a charisma like no one before or since.

[on Judy Holliday] She was intelligent and not at all like the dumb blonds she so often depicted. She didn't give a damn where the camera wa...Show more »

[on Judy Holliday] She was intelligent and not at all like the dumb blonds she so often depicted. She didn't give a damn where the camera was placed, how she was made to look, or about being a star. She just played the scene -- acted with, not at. She was also one of the nicest people I ever met. Show less «

[on Billy Wilder] I've had directors who were marvelous at breaking scenes down and handling people. But when you would string all the pearl...Show more »

[on Billy Wilder] I've had directors who were marvelous at breaking scenes down and handling people. But when you would string all the pearls together, they wouldn't make a beautiful necklace. But Billy is the kind of picture-maker who can make a beautiful string of pearls. He makes the kind of movies that are classics and last forever. Show less «

[on Walter Matthau] Walter is a helluva actor. The best I've ever worked with.

[on Shirley MacLaine] She hated rehearsals and had a bad habit of ad-libbing, which didn't set well with Billy Wilder. But we got used to ea...Show more »

[on Shirley MacLaine] She hated rehearsals and had a bad habit of ad-libbing, which didn't set well with Billy Wilder. But we got used to each other, because mainly she's a helluva girl. Show less «

(On comedic roles in 1970) I really can't be funny unless it's part of the character. It really bugs me when someone thinks of me as a comic...Show more »

(On comedic roles in 1970) I really can't be funny unless it's part of the character. It really bugs me when someone thinks of me as a comic. If I read 'comedian Jack Lemmon,' I gag. That means I'm not an actor - which I am. Show less «

(In a 1984 interview) "I've worked with great actors, great directors, and had some marvelous parts. Oh, my God, I don't know any actor who ...Show more »

(In a 1984 interview) "I've worked with great actors, great directors, and had some marvelous parts. Oh, my God, I don't know any actor who has had more tremendous parts! I really don't. I don't know of one, and I think it's why we're sitting here. I think it's why I'm still around. Show less «

[on Judy Holliday} She was one of the greats, and her early death was one of the great tragedies. She was also one of the nicest people I ev...Show more »

[on Judy Holliday} She was one of the greats, and her early death was one of the great tragedies. She was also one of the nicest people I ever hope to meet. She was hardly the dizzy blonde. If she were alive today, she would've zipped right through the Mensa puzzles. God, I was sweating gumdrops, on the plane coming here trying to do those those suckers. Show less «

Create a list » User Lists Related lists from IMDb users Most Humorus Peeps :) :P a list of 40 people created 24 May 20...Show more »

Create a list » User Lists Related lists from IMDb users Most Humorus Peeps :) :P a list of 40 people created 24 May 2013 A List of Awesome Actors a list of 25 people created 09 Jul 2015 Best Leading Actor a list of 44 people created 25 Jan 2016 Oscar Two (Or More) Timers a list of 42 people created 02 Feb 2016 See all related lists » Show less «