Jack Lemmon

Born: 8 February 1925
Where: Boston, Massachusetts
Died: 27th June, 2001

Born John Uhler Lemmon III to the president of a doughnut company, Jack Lemmon began his career as an actor in the Dramatic Club in Harvard, as well as graduating with a degree in War Service Sciences.

Forty years of glittering stardom began in 1954 with his movie debut with Judy Holliday in It Should Happen To You, and a year later he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Ensign Pulver in Mister Roberts.

In this movie he held his own against Henry Fonda, James Cagney, and William Powell ¿ impressive so early in a career.

He has also been nominated for Oscars in Some Like It Hot, The Apartment and Wine and Roses, all between 1959 and 1962.

In 1973 Jack won the best Actor Oscar for Save The Tiger.

In 1979 he was nominated for an Oscar for The China Syndrome, in 1980 for Tribute and in 1982 for Missing.

A talented, self-taught musician, he wrote the theme for the movie Tribute and played jazz in a Bobby Short TV special.

Lemmon admits to a serious drinking problem in the past and sees his Oscar win for Save The Tiger as an emotionally fulfilling performance as he portrays a man down on his luck and drowning in his own indulgences.

At the 1998 Golden Globes, Ving Rhames called fellow-nominee Jack up to the stage and practically gave him his recently-won award for Best Actor in a TV Movie, to express his admiration to the veteran actor.

Widely recognised as one half of a duo, Jack appeared with his fellow actor Walter Matthau in many movies. They came together most notably in The Fortune Cookie, Grumpy Old Men and The Odd Couple. He also directed Matthau in Kotch in 1971.

In 1988 he received the Life Achievement Award of the American Film Institute.

Sky's Barry Norman recently interviewed Jack on his involvement in the classic comedy Some Like it Hot. On how they got the make-up just right, he said:

'Tony and I would try different make-ups and hairdos and things, and then one day we finally got it. We walked out onto the street and into the ladies room.

'Tony grabbed my hand and in we went. I said: 'Do you know what you're doing?' and he said 'Oh yes!' in a falsetto.

'There must have been fifty girls come in and out and looked at us, some said 'Hi girls' or whatever. Nobody batted an eye!'

On working with Marilyn Monroe, he said: 'She had a quality that's very rare. I don't know any other actor that can use their talent as completely as she used hers.'

When asked for his personal views on the film, Jack commented: 'I did feel, when I read the script, that it was the funniest script that I had ever read and I still think it's the best comedy script I ever read to this day.'

On his friendship with co-star Tony Curtis, he said: 'Tony was a very giving actor and a very good one and we got along great.'

Jack Lemmon died of cancer at the age of 76.

'He is one of the greatest actors in the history of the business', said his spokesman, Warren Cowan.