Biography

Jack Lemmon was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to Mildred Lankford 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 Une femme qui s'affiche (1954). He won Best Supporting Actor as Ensign Pulver in Permission jusqu'à l'aube (1955). He received nominations in comedy (Certains l'aiment chaud (1959), La garçonnière (1960)) and drama (Le jour du vin et des roses (1962), Le syndrome chinois (1979), Un fils pour l'été (1980) and Missing - Porté disparu (1982)). He won the Best Actor Oscar for Sauvez le tigre (1973) and the Cannes Best Actor award for "Syndrome" and "Missing". He made his debut as a director with Grand-père à louer (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.

- IMDb mini biography by: Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>

Jack Lemmon was born on February 8, 1925 in Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. He initially acted on TV before moving to Hollywood for the big screen, cultivating a career that would span decades. An eight time Academy Award nominee, with two wins, Lemmon starred in over 60 films including Certains l'aiment chaud (1959), La garçonnière (1960), Irma la Douce (1963), Drôle de couple (1968), Sauvez le tigre (1973) and Les grincheux (1993). Some of his most beloved performances stemmed from his collaborations with acclaimed director Billy Wilder and with his fellow friend and actor Walter Matthau.

A versatile and beloved performer, Jack Lemmon was a celebrated virtuoso in both comedy and drama. The only child of Mildred Lankford Noel and John Uhler Lemmon Jr., who was the president of a doughnut company, Lemmon had a fairly affluent upbringing. He attended the prestigious Phillips Academy (Class of 1943) and Harvard College (Class of 1947). At Harvard, Lemmon found his passion for theater. He was also a member of the V-12 Navy College Training Program and served briefly as an ensign on an aircraft carrier during World War II before returning to Harvard following his time served in the military.

After college, Lemmon moved to New York City and spent much of his time there playing piano in a bar before landing small roles on the radio, stage and television. Two years later, Lemmon earned his first big role in the comedy war drama Permission jusqu'à l'aube (1955) with Henry Fonda and James Cagney. His complex portrayal of a somewhat dishonest but sensitive character earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Lemmon would go on to work on a number of films with comedian and close friend Ernie Kovacs, including L'adorable voisine (1958). In 1959, Lemmon gave one of the top comedic performances of his career when he starred alongside Tony Curtis in the romantic comedy film Certains l'aiment chaud (1959), the first of several collaborations with director Billy Wilder. Lemmon also received critical acclaim for his portrayal of C.C. 'Bud' Baxter in the La garçonnière (1960) while working again with Wilder. Lemmon enjoyed great success on the big screen throughout the 1950s and 60s.

La grande combine (1966) served as the start of a comedic partnership between Lemmon and Walter Matthau and the two would come together again, two years later, for Drôle de couple (1968), one of their most endearing films together. As the 1970s came around, Lemmon began to undertake more dramatic roles and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Sauvez le tigre (1973). Throughout the 80s and 90s, Lemmon continued to excel in his character performances and earned a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute in 1988.

Sometimes referred to as "America's Everyman", Lemmon's versatility as an actor helped the audience more closely identify and relate to him. He was able always to elicit a laugh or sympathy from his viewers and his charismatic presence always shined on the big screen. He often portrayed the quintessence of aspiring man and established a lasting impression on the film industry.

- IMDb mini biography by: Kyle Perez