![Image of Tony Curtis](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w342/2Yytx1aHwX7sat3bIqZ8emPlkos.jpg)
Tony Curtis (June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances. Although his early film roles were partly the result of his good looks, by the later half of the 1950's he became a notable and strong screen presence. He began proving himself to be a “fine dramatic actor,” having the range to act in numerous dramatic and comedy roles. In his earliest parts he acted in a string of "mediocre" films, including swashbucklers, westerns, light comedies, sports films, and a musical. However, by the time he starred in Houdini (1953) with his wife Janet Leigh, "his first clear success," notes critic David Thomson, his acting had progressed immensely. He won his first serious recognition as a skilled dramatic actor in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with co-star Burt Lancaster. The following year he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in another drama, The Defiant Ones (1958). Curtis then gave what many believe was his best acting, in a completely different role, the comedy Some Like It Hot (1959). Thomson calls it an "outrageous film," and it was voted the number 1 funniest film in history from a survey done by the American Film Institute. It costarred Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, and was directed by Billy Wilder. That was followed by Blake Edwards’ comedy Operation Petticoat (1959) with Cary Grant. They were both “frantic comedies,” and displayed "his impeccable comic timing." He often collaborated with Edwards on later films. His most significant serious part came in 1968 when he starred in the true-life drama The Boston Strangler, which some consider his "last major film role." The part reinforced his reputation as a serious actor with his "chilling portrayal" of serial killer Albert DeSalvo. He gained 30 pounds and had his face "rebuilt" with a false nose to look like the real DeSalvo. Curtis was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis by his first wife, actress Janet Leigh.
Movie | An Eye for an Eye | 2025 | |
Movie | Blonde | Tony Curtis | 2022-09-16 |
Movie | Rat Pack | Self (archive footage) | 2022-01-11 |
Movie | Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire | Self - Actor (archive footage) | 2014-09-20 |
Movie | And the Oscar Goes To... | Self (archive footage) | 2014-02-01 |
Series | Talking Pictures | Himself - Archive footage | 2013-01-05 |
Movie | Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom | Self | 2012-03-20 |
Movie | Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff | Eric (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2010-05-05 |
Movie | Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel | Self | 2009-01-01 |
Movie | David & Fatima | Mr. Schwartz | 2008-06-27 |
Series | The Graham Norton Show | Himself | 2007-02-22 |
Movie | The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot' | Self | 2006-06-25 |
Movie | Jerry Lewis - König der Komödianten | Self (archive footage) | 2006-03-15 |
Movie | Billy Wilder Speaks | 2006-06-22 | |
Movie | The Making of 'Some Like It Hot' | Self | 2006-06-25 |
Series | The One Show | Unknown | 2006-08-14 |
Movie | Hollywood Legenden | Self | 2004-01-01 |
Series | Hope & Faith | Morris | 2003-09-23 |
Movie | Hugh Hefner: American Playboy | Self | 2003-11-18 |
Movie | Reflections of Evil | Host | 2002-03-22 |
Movie | Tony Curtis on 'Some Like It Hot' | Self | 2001-05-22 |
Movie | Rescued from the Closet | Self | 2001-05-29 |
Series | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Unknown | 2000-10-06 |
Movie | Play It to the Bone | Tony Curtis (Ringside Fan) | 1999-12-25 |
Movie | Stargames | King Fendel | 1998-06-03 |
Movie | Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball | Wald | 1997-03-30 |
Movie | The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man | Jack Steele | 1997-05-13 |
Series | The View | Unknown | 1997-08-11 |
Movie | The Celluloid Closet | Self | 1996-01-30 |
Movie | The Immortals | Dominic | 1995-10-05 |
Series | The Mrs Merton Show | Unknown | 1995-02-10 |
Movie | Beauty and the Bandit | Lucky Bergstrom | 1994-04-03 |
Movie | Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor | Johnny Steele | 1994-11-09 |
Movie | The Mummy Lives | Aziru / Dr. Mohassid | 1993-07-10 |
Movie | Naked in New York | Carl Fisher | 1993-11-10 |
Movie | Center of the Web | Stephen Moore | 1992-05-15 |
Movie | Christmas in Connecticut | Alexander Yardley | 1992-04-13 |
Movie | Joseph Cornell: Worlds in a Box | Himself/Narrator | 1991-11-29 |
Movie | Prime Target | Copella | 1991-09-27 |
Movie | Lobster Man from Mars | J.P. Shelldrake | 1990-02-09 |
Movie | Thanksgiving Day | Max Schloss | 1990-11-19 |
Movie | Tarzan in Manhattan | Archimedes Porter | 1989-04-15 |
Movie | Walter and Carlo in America | WIlly La Rouge | 1989-11-24 |
Movie | Midnight | Mr. B | 1989-07-01 |
Movie | The Passenger – Welcome to Germany | Mr. Cornfield | 1988-05-04 |
Series | This Morning | Unknown | 1988-10-03 |
Series | Roseanne | Unknown | 1988-10-18 |
Movie | Sparky's Magic Piano | 1987-01-01 | |
Movie | Mafia Princess | Sam Giancana | 1986-01-19 |
Movie | Club Life | Hector | 1986-02-20 |
Movie | Murder in Three Acts | Charles Cartwright | 1986-10-01 |
Movie | Banter | Charles Foster | 1986-08-25 |
Movie | The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal | Self | 1986-07-31 |
Movie | Half Nelson | 1985-03-24 | |
Movie | Insignificance | The Senator | 1985-08-02 |
Movie | Where Is Parsifal? | Parsifal Katzanella-Boden | 1984-01-01 |
Movie | Balboa | Ernie Stoddard | 1983-01-02 |
Movie | Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1983-02-25 |
Movie | BrainWaves | Dr. Clavius | 1983-08-05 |
Movie | Portrait of a Showgirl | Joey DeLeon | 1982-04-09 |
Movie | Black Commando | Col. Iago | 1982-11-15 |
Movie | The Million Dollar Face | Chester Masterson | 1981-03-12 |
Series | Wetten, dass..? | Unknown | 1981-02-14 |
Movie | Electric Blue 003 | Himself | 1980-01-01 |
Movie | Little Miss Marker | Blackie | 1980-03-21 |
Movie | The Mirror Crack'd | Martin N. Fenn | 1980-09-19 |
Movie | It Rained All Night the Day I Left | Robert Talbot | 1980-08-05 |
Movie | The Scarlett O'Hara War | David O. Selznick | 1980-05-19 |
Movie | Title Shot | Frank Renzetti | 1979-09-09 |
Movie | Sextette | Alexei Karansky | 1978-03-03 |
Movie | The Manitou | Harry Erskine | 1978-04-28 |
Series | Vega$ | Roth | 1978-09-20 |
Movie | The Users | Randy Brent | 1978-10-01 |
Movie | The Bad News Bears Go to Japan | Marvin Lazar | 1978-06-30 |
Series | The Hollywood Greats | Unknown | 1977-08-04 |
Movie | Casanova & Co. | Giacomo Casanova / Giacomino | 1977-03-01 |
Movie | The Last Tycoon | Rodriguez | 1976-11-18 |
Series | McCoy | McCoy | 1975-03-11 |
Movie | Lepke | Louis 'Lepke' Buchalter | 1975-05-23 |
Movie | The Count of Monte-Cristo | Fernand Morcerf Mondego | 1975-10-31 |
Movie | London Conspiracy | Danny Wilde | 1974-10-04 |
Movie | Mission: Monte Carlo | Danny Wilde | 1974-01-01 |
Series | The American Film Institute Salute to ... | Unknown | 1973-04-02 |
Movie | The Third Girl from the Left | Joey Jordan | 1973-10-16 |
Series | The Persuaders! | Danny Wilde | 1971-09-17 |
Movie | Norman Jewison, Film Maker | Self (uncredited) | 1971-01-01 |
Series | V.I.P. Schaukel | Unknown | 1971-05-09 |
Movie | You Can't Win 'Em All | Adam Dyer | 1970-07-23 |
Movie | Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? | Shannon Gambroni | 1970-09-11 |
Series | Bracken's World | Unknown | 1969-09-19 |
Movie | Monte Carlo or Bust! | Chester Schofield | 1969-04-28 |
Movie | Rosemary's Baby | Donald Baumgart (voice) (uncredited) | 1968-06-12 |
Movie | The Boston Strangler | Albert DeSalvo | 1968-10-08 |
Movie | Don't Make Waves | Carlo Cofield | 1967-06-20 |
Movie | On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who... | Guerrando da Montone | 1967-12-01 |
Series | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Unknown | 1967-09-09 |
Movie | Arrivederci, Baby! | Nick Johnson | 1966-12-28 |
Movie | Not With My Wife, You Don't | Tom Ferris | 1966-11-02 |
Movie | Chamber of Horrors | Mr. Julian | 1966-10-19 |
Movie | Boeing, Boeing | Bernard Lawrence | 1965-12-22 |
Movie | The Great Race | The Great Leslie | 1965-07-01 |
Movie | Paris When It Sizzles | Maurice / Philippe (uncredited) | 1964-03-16 |
Movie | Wild and Wonderful | Terry Williams | 1964-06-09 |
Movie | Sex and the Single Girl | Bob Weston | 1964-12-25 |
Movie | Goodbye Charlie | George Wellington Tracy | 1964-11-18 |
Movie | The List of Adrian Messenger | Organ Grinder | 1963-05-23 |
Movie | Captain Newman, M.D. | Cpl. Jackson "Jake" Leibowitz | 1963-12-25 |
Series | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Unknown | 1962-10-01 |
Movie | Taras Bulba | Andrei Bulba | 1962-11-21 |
Movie | 40 Pounds of Trouble | Steve McCluskey | 1962-12-31 |
Movie | The Outsider | Ira Hamilton Hayes | 1961-12-27 |
Movie | The Rat Race | Pete Hammond Jr. | 1960-07-10 |
Movie | Who Was That Lady? | David Wilson | 1960-04-08 |
Movie | Spartacus | Antoninus | 1960-10-13 |
Movie | The Great Impostor | Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. / Martin Donner / Dr. Gilbert / Ben. W. Stone / Dr. Joseph Mornay / Robert Boyd Hammnd | 1960-12-23 |
Movie | Pepe | Tony Curtis | 1960-12-21 |
Series | The Flintstones | Unknown | 1960-09-30 |
Movie | Operation Petticoat | Lieutenant Nicholas Holden | 1959-12-05 |
Movie | Some Like It Hot | Joe (Josephine) | 1959-03-19 |
Movie | The Vikings | Eric | 1958-06-11 |
Movie | The Perfect Furlough | Cpl. Paul Hodges | 1958-11-30 |
Movie | The Defiant Ones | John 'Joker' Jackson | 1958-08-14 |
Movie | Kings Go Forth | Caporal Britt Harris | 1958-06-28 |
Movie | Mister Cory | Cory | 1957-02-23 |
Movie | Sweet Smell of Success | Sidney Falco | 1957-07-04 |
Movie | The Midnight Story | Joe Martini | 1957-06-04 |
Movie | Nightmare | Tony | 1956-01-01 |
Movie | The Rawhide Years | Ben Matthews | 1956-04-13 |
Series | The Steve Allen Show | Unknown | 1956-06-24 |
Movie | Trapeze | Tino Orsini | 1956-05-30 |
Movie | 6 Bridges to Cross | Jerry Florea | 1955-01-21 |
Movie | The Square Jungle | Eddie Quaid / Packy Glennon | 1955-12-30 |
Movie | The Purple Mask | Rene de Traviere / The Purple Mask | 1955-06-15 |
Movie | Beachhead | Burke | 1954-02-05 |
Movie | Johnny Dark | Johnny Dark | 1954-06-25 |
Movie | The Black Shield of Falworth | Myles Falworth | 1954-09-02 |
Movie | A Star Is Born World Premiere | Self | 1954-09-28 |
Movie | So This Is Paris | Joe Maxwell | 1954-12-15 |
Series | General Electric Theater | Unknown | 1953-02-01 |
Series | The Oscars | Unknown | 1953-03-19 |
Movie | Forbidden | Eddie Darrow | 1953-12-02 |
Movie | The All American | Nick Bonelli | 1953-10-01 |
Movie | Houdini | Harry Houdini | 1953-07-02 |
Movie | Come Back Little Shiksa | 1952-01-01 | |
Movie | Meet Danny Wilson | Nightclub Patron | 1952-02-08 |
Movie | Flesh and Fury | Paul Callan | 1952-06-26 |
Series | This Is Your Life | Unknown | 1952-10-01 |
Movie | No Room for the Groom | Alvah Morrell | 1952-06-13 |
Movie | Son of Ali Baba | Kashma Baba | 1952-08-15 |
Movie | Fairfax Avenue | 1951-01-01 | |
Movie | The Prince Who Was a Thief | Julna | 1951-05-17 |
Series | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Unknown | 1951-10-05 |
Movie | The Re-Inforcer | Baffo | 1951-10-04 |
Movie | Francis | Captain Jones | 1950-02-08 |
Movie | Woman in Hiding | Dave Shaw (voice) (uncredited) | 1950-01-06 |
Movie | I Was a Shoplifter | Pepe | 1950-05-13 |
Movie | Sierra | Brent Coulter (as Anthony Cutis) | 1950-05-26 |
Movie | Winchester '73 | Doan | 1950-07-12 |
Movie | Kansas Raiders | Kit Dalton | 1950-11-15 |
Series | The Colgate Comedy Hour | Unknown | 1950-09-10 |
Movie | Criss Cross | Gigolo (uncredited) | 1949-02-04 |
Movie | City Across the River | Mitch (as Anthony Curtis) | 1949-04-07 |
Movie | Johnny Stool Pigeon | Joey Hyatt (as Anthony Curtis) | 1949-04-20 |
Movie | The Lady Gambles | Bellboy (as Anthony Curtis) | 1949-05-20 |
Movie | Take One False Step | Hot Rod Driver (uncredited) | 1949-08-14 |
Series | The Ed Sullivan Show | Unknown | 1948-06-20 |