Jack Lemmon
Biography
Jack Lemmon was an American actor who became known for playing fretful, ordinary men in comedies and dramas. Born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1925, he worked on radio and Broadway before making his film debut in 1949. He played Ensign Pulver in Mister Roberts (1955), winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His work with director Billy Wilder included Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), and Irma la Douce (1963). He won a Best Actor Oscar for Save the Tiger (1973) and was nominated for The China Syndrome (1979), Missing (1982), and Days of Wine and Roses (1962). A long collaboration with Walter Matthau included Grumpy Old Men (1993), The Odd Couple (1968), and The Front Page (1974). He also directed Kotch and later won a Primetime Emmy for Tuesdays with Morrie (1999).
76years old at death
- Born Newton
- Died Los Angeles
- Star sign: AquariusThe sign runs January 20 to February 18
- John Uhler Lemmon III (birth name)Also credited as John Lemmon and John Uhler Lemmon
Movie Career
- Films
- 49
- Career span
- 46 years1954 to 2000
Genres
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Behind the award
Lemmon won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for Mister Roberts, making him the first actor to complete that double, though Helen Hayes had done the same in the female categories three years before.
A role that slipped away
Lemmon's company Jalem made Cool Hand Luke in 1967, with Paul Newman in the lead. Newman showed his thanks by offering Lemmon the Sundance Kid role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which Lemmon turned down.
First role
Lemmon's first leading man part came in the 1954 comedy It Should Happen to You, which starred Judy Holliday. He told The Washington Post in 1986 that without Judy he was not sure he would have concentrated on films.
Early training
Lemmon studied acting under coach Uta Hagen at HB Studio in New York City after earning his Harvard degree in 1947.
Behind the camera
Lemmon formed his own production company, Jalem Productions, in early 1960, naming it from the first letters of his names because he could not find another name he liked that was available.
Behind the camera
Lemmon directed just one movie, the admired 1971 comedy Kotch. Matthau had a starring role in it and received a Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Jack Lemmon movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Billy Wilder directed seven of these films, Richard Quine six and Blake Edwards three. Walter Matthau appears in ten of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Walter Matthau's page
Joan Shawlee's page
Bess Flowers's page
Sissy Spacek's page
Leon Alton's page
Kim Novak's page
All films by Billy Wilder
All films by Richard Quine
All films by Blake Edwards
Also three films together6 more actors
- Biff ElliotThat's Life! (1986), The Front Page (1974) and Save the Tiger (1973)
- Howard McNearThe Fortune Cookie (1966), Irma la Douce (1963) and Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
- Herb EdelmanThe Front Page (1974), The War Between Men and Women (1972) and The Odd Couple (1968)
- Cliff OsmondThe Front Page (1974), The Fortune Cookie (1966) and Irma la Douce (1963)
- Dick YorkCowboy (1958), Operation Mad Ball (1957) and My Sister Eileen (1955)
- Ernie KovacsIt Happened to Jane (1959), Bell, Book and Candle (1958) and Operation Mad Ball (1957)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Jack Lemmon's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$818 million
27 of the 49 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 49 films: 27 worldwide figure; 12 us gross only; 3 never in cinemas; 7 figure not found.
- 27Worldwide figure
- 12US gross only
- 3Never in cinemas
- 7Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 73% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$205M25.1% of the total
- 2$91M11.1% of the total
- 3$72M8.7% of the total
- 4$70M8.6% of the total
- 5$52M6.3% of the total
- 6$45M5.4% of the total
- 7$39M4.8% of the total
- 8$25M3.1% of the total
$219 millionfrom the other 19 films with a worldwide figure, 27% of the total
Awards
21 awards and honors from 1956 to 2000, eighteen of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1974 | Best Actor | Save the Tiger | Won |
| 1956 | Best Supporting Actor | Mister Roberts | Won |
| Golden Globes | |||
| 2000 | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Inherit the Wind | Won |
| 1991 | Cecil B. DeMille Award | Won | |
| 1973 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Avanti! | Won |
| 1961 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | The Apartment | Won |
| 1960 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Some Like It Hot | Won |
| BAFTA | |||
| 1979 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | The China Syndrome | Won |
| 1960 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | The Apartment | Won |
| 1959 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Some Like It Hot | Won |
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 2000 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Tuesdays with Morrie | Won |
| 1972 | Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series | Won | |
| SAG Awards | |||
| 2000 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Tuesdays with Morrie | Won |
| 1990 | Life Achievement Award | Won | |
| Cannes Film Festival | |||
| 1982 | Best Actor | Missing | Won |
| 1979 | Best Actor | The China Syndrome | Won |
| Berlin Film Festival | |||
| 1981 | Silver Bear for Best Actor | Tribute | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | |||
| 1992 | Volpi Cup for Best Actor | Glengarry Glen Ross | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 1996 | Honorary Golden Bear | Honorary | |
| 1996 | Kennedy Center Honors | Won | |
| 1988 | AFI Life Achievement Award | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.