Biografie

Palance, a boxer before he became an actor, was born Volodymyr Palahniuk of Ukrainian, Polish and Estonian descent. One of six children born to an anthracite coal miner who would die from black lung disease, and his wife (Ivan and Anna [née Gramiak] Palahniuk), Palance reportedly spoke six languages : Ukrainian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French and English.

While an understudy to Marlon Brando in the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire", Brando, who was into athletics, rigged up a punching bag in the theater's boiler room and invited Jack to work out with him. One night, Jack threw a hard punch that missed the bag and landed square on Brando's nose. The star had to be hospitalized and understudy Palance created his own big break by going on for Brando. Jack's reviews as Stanley Kowalski helped get him a 20th Century-Fox contract.

Was infamous in Hollywood for his Method-style acting, in a time when Marlon Brando was one of its few practitioners. Once, while filming a fight scene with Burt Lancaster, Palance actually punched the unsuspecting Lancaster in the face. Lancaster responded in kind, by socking Palance in the gut, causing him to vomit.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Palance was a professional boxer in the heavyweight class, fighting under the name Jack Brazzo. He won his first 15 fights, then enlisted in the military when World War II broke out. After the war, he took up acting and never resumed his boxing career.

During his struggling days, he worked as a short order cook, waiter, soda jerk, lifeguard at Jones Beach, and a photographer's model.

The only two things you can truly depend upon are gravity and greed.

I'm amazed people read this crap about us--about me most of all.

One of the most important reasons for living is to do something--live outside of yourself and put together an idea, an idea that you want to explore and then complete. Awaken your creative sensitivities!

[on his aircraft accident in World War II when his bomber crashed and burned, in which he received severe head injuries and required major facial reconstruction] There are some moments you never get over. That was one of them.

[In 1994] I used to be 6' 4". Now that I'm old, I slouch. So I'm 6' 3".