Lemmon Jack is a talented American actor who is a two-time Oscar winner, winner of the Golden Globe and other awards. And although he was at the peak of popularity in the distant 50-60s, his fame still has not lost its former relevance. About who Lemmon is, about his biography, filmography, advantages and disadvantages, we will tell in this article.
Childhood, family and studies of the actor
The future actor John Uhler Lemmon III was born in the family of the president of a large donut company in early February 1925 in Newton (Massachusetts). Apart from Jack, there were no more children in the family. But this shortcoming was more than compensated by the parents, surrounding the boy with their care and love.
Uhler himself was not too happy about the excessive parental care. On the contrary, starting from the age of eight, he dreamed of becoming an actor and longed for independence. And he had such a chance immediately after the family sent the boy to study at the Massachusetts elite private school named after Phillips. Upon graduation, young Jack Lemmon submitted his papers to Harvard. By the way, born John Uhler Lemmon III is one of the few Americanactors who received a prestigious Harvard education. And right after university, the grown-up youth went to serve in the Navy, where he stayed for exactly a year.
Dawn of an acting career
According to Jack, his acting skills showed up during his studies 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 even later on television.
During another live broadcast in 1949, he was noticed by one of the directors, Michael Curtis, who invited the young talent to audition for the film The Lady Takes a Sailor (translated from English as “Lady Takes a Sailor”). Jack Lemmon (see his photo below) agreed, and after a little check, he was unconditionally approved for a small role, making him a living competitor to Dennis Morgan and Jane Wiman.
And although the actor's first debut did not have the desired effect on either critics or viewers, he continued to do what he loved. Success and fame came to Lemmon closer to 1954. At this time, he was invited to one of the main roles in a movie called It Should Happen to You (“It should happen to you”).
The following year, actor Jack Lemmon starred in the military tragicomedy Mister Roberts ("Mr. Roberts"), and this role helped the artist receive the long-awaited "Oscar" in the nomination "Best Supporting Actor".
Flow of offers and collaboration with Billy Wilder
From nowFrom the moment Jack became famous and received his first award, his acting career took off with confident steps. However, according to the most newly minted celebrity, all these roles could not reflect the real talent of the actor, as they were of the same type. Jack himself did not want to be a "fidgety clown" at all. He wanted to play someone special, who would partially reflect the inner world of the artist. Oddly enough, but such a role was found. It was proposed by Billy Wilder, a director with whom Lemmon had not previously collaborated.
This time, Lemmon Jack had to play a mischievous musician who accidentally witnessed a gang war and was forced to hide from the mafia in a spectacular female image. By the way, the rest of the artist's roles, one way or another, were similar to the image of Jerry ("Daphne"), because he had to play "people from the street" who, by chance, find themselves in various difficult situations and are strenuously looking for a way out of them.
As a result, the comedy Only Girls in Jazz, which also starred Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis, allowed the artist to claim a new Oscar and laid the foundation for a creative collaboration with a new director.
According to preliminary data, this union lasted until 1981. Wilder's last picture, in which Lemmon Jack took part with pleasure, was the film "Friend-Friend".
Among Lemmon's most successful roles, offered to him by the new director, were the images of charismatic characters in the comedy "The Apartment" and the adaptation of the vaudeville "Tender Irma". It is interesting that in both films the partnerJack became the beauty Shirley MacLaine.
Successful comedy union
In early 1964, Lemmon Jack met the wonderful actor W alter Matthau, with whom they became best friends. Their communication began with a comedy performance, and later the film of the same name, The Odd Couple.
Later, their union continued in a number of other films, including "Lucky Ticket", "Old Grumps" and "Old Grumps Rage". During their thirty-year collaboration, 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
Jack later moved out of his fine comic role in favor of more serious dramatic roles. For example, Blake Edwards' film Days of Wine and Roses ("Days of Wine and Roses"), where the actor got the image of a man who openly abuses alcohol. By the way, this role brought the actor another award from the Academy.
Jack Lemmon (the actor's biography is full of awards) received his second Oscar after starring in another drama called Save the Tiger. Interestingly, most of the film's box office proceeds went to charity, and the actor himself, according to him, agreed to play almost for free.
Jack Lemmon Filmography
Among Lemmon's most notable films, many of which have also won awards, are the following:
- Thirty-Three Misfortunes (1962);
- The Big Race (1965);
- "How to Sew on Your Wife" (1965);
- Airport 77 (1977);
- 12 Angry Men (1997);
- Reap the Storm (1998);
- Tuesdays with Maury (1999) and more.
Later roles and awards of the actor
After 1970, Jack hardly appeared 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. So, most admirers of his talent most remember the role of the artist in the film "Chinese Syndrome" by Michael Douglas. For his role in this film, Jack was awarded an honorary audience award, presented to him during the 1979 Cannes Film Festival. The actor received a similar award for participating in the film "Missing in Action" directed by Costa-Gavras.
In 1992, Lemmon had a small role as an elderly traveling salesman in The Americans. This image also did not go unnoticed, and during the Venice Film Festival he was awarded an honorary award - the Volpi Cup. At the end of 1998, Jack was nominated for a Golden Globe, but lost to another actor, Ving Rhames. However, the unexpected happened. Wing, who received the prize, called Lemmon from the hall and, to the enthusiastic cries of the audience, presented his award to him.
About the actor's personal life
Lemmon has been married twice. The first time his chosen one was the actress Cynthia Stone, from whose marriage the couple had a son, Chris, who later starred in the TV series Thunder in Paradise. Inthe second time he fell in love with actress Felicia Far. And shortly after the wedding, they had a daughter, whom they named 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 could not defeat him. In the summer of 2001, the actor died suddenly and was buried next to the previously deceased W alter Matthau. This is how two friends, who were friends during life, remained faithful to each other after their death. Their memory will live forever.
