Burt Lancaster

Born: 2 November 1913
Where: New York, New York

"I woke up a star - it was terrifying," said the former acrobate and circus trouper after his debut movie The Killers was a hit.

The son of New York City postal worker went on to star in such seminal films as Gunfight at the OK Corral, Birdman of Alcatraz and Local Hero.

Rare among Hollywood stars, Lancaster also enjoyed an art house following by virtue of his roles in Luchino Visconti's The Leopard and Conversation Piece.

As a teenager he excelled in sport and went on to form the Lang and Cravat Acrobatic Team with a childhood friend.

He was introduced to acting while in the army during World War II and was one of the first actors to become an independent producer.

During the 1950s, he alternated his roles between sensitive performances in dramas like From Here To Eternity and The Sweet Smell of Success.

In 1960, he won an Oscar for Elmer Gantry and two years later the Venice Festival Award for The Birdman of Alcatraz.

Visconti recruited him for his masterpiece The Leopard in 1963 and Lancaster went on to star in The Swimmer (1968) and Airport (1969).

He teamed up with Visconti again for Conversation Piece in 1974 and also played the title in the biopic Moses in 1976.

Recovering from triple bypass surgery in 1983, he continued to work, appearing in supporting roles in Local Hero and Field of Dreams.

A massive stroke forced him to retire from public life in 1991 and he died of a heart attack in 1994.

"Most people think I'm the kind of guy who shaves with a blow torch," he once said. Actually, I'm bookish and worrisome."