Quiz

Served as a Marine in the Pacific theater during WW2. In total, he took part in the invasions of 21 islands and was wounded and nearly died as a result during the Battle of Saipan, an engagement in which most of his unit was killed. He was a sniper and would be sent in during the night in a small rubber boat, prior to the rest of his platoon. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his wounds, and spent 13 months in therapy recovering from them. His wartime experiences deeply affected him for the remainder of his life.

Was Steven Spielberg's first choice to play Quint in Lo squalo (1975).

His body was interred next to that of Joe Louis in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

Says he learned to act in the Marines during World War II, trying to act unafraid during ferocious combat, which brought him a Purple Heart during the invasion of Saipan.

Could not ride a motorcycle at the time Il selvaggio (1953) was filmed but, determined not to be bettered by the star, Marlon Brando, he quickly learned. He later became a keen competitor on his Triumph 200cc Tiger Cub in desert races.

Named after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, who was his first cousin, four times removed, through the General's grandparents Henry Lee II and Lucy Grymes.

Jeff Bridges has said that it was seeing Marvin and Robert Ryan at work in The Iceman Cometh (1973) that made him decide to fully commit to acting. He found that Marvin and Ryan, despite their obvious tough-guy personas, were unusually kind and giving actors.

Marvin hated his most famous film Quella sporca dozzina (1967), which he made only for the money and said was nothing like the actual war. He much preferred Duello nel Pacifico (1968) and Il grande uno rosso (1980), both of which reflected his strong anti-war feelings.

Was a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and twice a descendant of male line relatives of George Washington.

Turned down the lead role of Gen. George S. Patton in Patton, generale d'acciaio (1970) because he did not want to glorify war.

Not a sentimental man by nature, he kept only four souvenirs of his career over the years. These were his Best Actor Oscar for Cat Ballou (1965), the citation he received from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame for his performance in L'uomo che uccise Liberty Valance (1962), his Gold Record for "Wandering Star" and the high-heeled shoe that Vivien Leigh beat him with in La nave dei folli (1965).

Burt Lancaster and he did not get along during the shoot of I professionisti (1966) due to that fact that Marvin's bottoming-out alcoholism was making him unreliable and difficult at the time. Director Richard Brooks felt the need to intervene because he feared Lancaster was going to "take Lee Marvin by the ass and throw him off that mountain".

Turned down William Holden's role in Il mucchio selvaggio (1969) in order to make La ballata della città senza nome (1969), for which he had been offered $1 million plus a percentage of the profits. However, the movie was a notorious failure on release.

John Boorman originally wanted Marvin and Marlon Brando to play Ed and Lewis, respectively, in Un tranquillo weekend di paura (1972). However, Marvin suggested that he and Brando were too old and that Boorman should use younger actors.

Was offered the role of Col. Douglas Mortimer in Per qualche dollaro in più (1965), but turned it down to star in Cat Ballou (1965).

Was as surprised as anyone when his recording of "Wandering Star", from the La ballata della città senza nome (1969) soundtrack, became a surprise hit, earning the Gold Record (the standard in those days) for one million copies sold in 1969.

He was one of the first Hollywood celebrities to declare his support for the gay rights movement, in his "Playboy" interview from January 1969. He further stated that he would have no problem playing gay characters on screen, since he was secure with his own sexual orientation.

Turned down Ispettore Callaghan: il caso 'Scorpio' è tuo!! (1971) and Il giustiziere della notte (1974), both vigilante-themed movies. Marvin was director Sidney Lumet's first choice for Paul Kersey in "Death Wish", but Lumet dropped out and Marvin was no longer interested because of it.

Revisited Saipan (where he was wounded during World War II) in 1967, where his guide was P.F. Kluge, who went on to write La banda di Eddie (1983).

He was buried with full military honor at Arlington National Cemetery.

His acting career began by chance when, while working as a plumber's assistant at a local community theatre in upstate New York, Marvin was asked to replace an actor who had fallen ill during rehearsals. He caught the acting bug and got a job with the company at seven dollars a week.

Turned down the role of Col. Trautman in Rambo (1982), as he didn't want to play a colonel.

Turned down two movies directed by William Friedkin, Il braccio violento della legge (1971) and Il salario della paura (1977).

While serving in the Marine Corps he became best friends with John Miara of Malden, MA. Miara became Marvin's model for the character of Maj. Reisman in Quella sporca dozzina (1967).

Went into semi-retirement from acting after filming Il grande scout (1976).

Marvin was a close friend of Robert Ryan, and they did several films together, and both served in the Marine Corps in World War Two. The pair were set to star in Il mucchio selvaggio (1969), but Marvin had several heated arguments with director Sam Peckinpah and left the project. Ryan was no fan of Peckinpah either, but stayed on the film. He and Marvin were favorites of maverick director Samuel Fuller, who was also a close friend of both.

In 1975 he left Hollywood and moved to Tucson, AZ.

He has appeared in four films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Il grande caldo (1953), Giorno maledetto (1955), L'uomo che uccise Liberty Valance (1962) and Senza un attimo di tregua (1967).

Turned down Dove osano le aquile (1968) because he did not want to star in another war film. The part went to his La ballata della città senza nome (1969) co-star Clint Eastwood.

Together with Nicolas Cage (Il ladro di orchidee (2002)), José Ferrer (Moulin Rouge (1952)) and Peter Sellers (Il dottor Stranamore - Ovvero: come ho imparato a non preoccuparmi e ad amare la bomba (1964)), he is one of only four actors with an Oscar nomination for playing multiple characters in a film (in Cat Ballou (1965) he plays two characters, Kid Shelleen and Tim Strawn). Marvin is the only one who actually won one for a double role.

In December 1986 he underwent intestinal surgery after suffering abdominal pains while at his ranch outside of Tucson, AZ. Doctors said then that there was an inflammation of the colon, but that no malignancy was found.

The first actor to win an Oscar for playing two roles in the same film. The first actor nominated for playing two roles was José Ferrer, with whom he appeared in L'ammutinamento del Caine (1954).

According to his first wife Betty Ebeling (1928-2018) in her memoirs, "Tales Of a Hollywood Housewife", when Marvin died he left only $10,000 in his will for his four children. She also said that during their marriage he was often pulled over by police for drunken driving, but got away with only a warning and signing an autograph for the officers.

He was against US involvement in the Vietnam War.

Bonded with co-star Vivien Leigh on the set of La nave dei folli (1965). When he and his partner Michelle Triola visited Leigh at her exquisite home in England, he tore up a deck of antique playing cards that they were playing with. Much to Triola's surprise, Leigh was not at all disturbed by Marvin's boorish behavior but seemed enchanted by him.

At the time of his death from a sudden heart attack, he had been hospitalized at Tucson (AZ) Medical Center since 13 August 1987 with what his spokesman described as "a run-down condition related to the flu".

He became a major star with Cat Ballou (1965), but his career waned considerably after La ballata della città senza nome (1969).

Despite his "tough guy" image he is one of the few actors to win a Best Leading Actor Oscar for a comedic performance.

Jean Seberg likened his singing voice to "rain gurgling down a rusty pipe.".

Lived with Michelle Triola for six years. In 1977 she sued him for palimony and the case went to trial. On 18 April 1979, Judge Arthur K. Marshall ordered Marvin to pay $104,000 to Triola for "rehabilitation purposes", but denied her community property claim for one-half of the $3.6 million which Marvin had earned during their six years of cohabitation. Both sides claimed victory, but in August 1981, the California Court of Appeal ruled that Triola could not show any contract between herself and Marvin to justify any payment to her. As a result, Triola recovered no money from Marvin.

His first wife, Betty, was Joan Crawford's kids' nanny before she met him.

Was offered the lead in La guerra dei mondi (1953).

Publicly endorsed John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election.

For his service in the Marine Corps, he earned a Purple Heart Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal, Combat Action Ribbon.

He did not receive any offers at all for a year after M Squad (1957) finished, and fell into a deep depression.

Became a father for the first time at age 28 when his first wife Betty Ebeling gave birth to their son Christopher Lamont Marvin on November 22, 1952.

Became a father for the fourth time at age 34 when his first wife Betty Ebeling gave birth to their daughter Claudia Marvin on March 3, 1958.

He was expelled from various schools as a teenager for bad behavior.

He died five years before his mother.

Smoked up to six packs of cigarettes a day.