When I made Sweet Smell of ­Success, The Defiant Ones, I should have continued in that milieu. People stop me in the street all the time. He won his first serious recognition as a skilled dramatic actor in 1957's "Sweet Smell of Success". Hollywood... the most sensational merry-go-around ever built. In his earliest parts he acted in a string of mediocre films, including swashbucklers westerns, light comedies, sports films, and a musical. His mother was also very aggressive, beating him up and being a negative influence in his life; she would be diagnosed with schizophrenia, so when he was eight years old he was placed in an orphanage, and then became involved with local gangs. Has appeared in tourism advertisements for his ancestral homeland Hungary. Fame is another profession. I ran around with a lump in my pants, chased all the girls. I was the only one who ever knocked. Curtis then gave what could arguably be called his best performance: three interrelated roles in the 1959 comedy "Some Like It Hot". When he was placed under contract at Universal Pictures, he changed his name from Bernard Schwartz to Tony … Some of his works are a part of a permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. I'm so privileged to be alive in this studio that happens to be mine. His brother Julius died after being hit by a truck (1938). I felt I should have been considered more, with a little more respect from the Screen Actors Guild and the Academy. I wanted to be on the cover of all the magazines and go to parties in a limousine with a beautiful girl. . I was falling in love every day. It didn't make me superhuman in the longevity department, but it certainly did make my sexual experiences more intense. Now in his 80s, he spends most of his time painting. The results are fact checked and confirmed by a team of editors and industry insiders. And I appreciate it. I am completely in love with women. She had no opportunities. He was a militant anti-smoker, having been a heavy smoker himself for about thirty years. He then continued with an appearance in the film “City Across the River”, but would truly get recognition for his performance as the press agent Sidney Falco in the film “Sweet Smell of Success”. : A Century of the Cinema, AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Sidney Poitier, AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Billy Wilder, Playboy Mid Summer Night's Dream Party 1985, Electric Light Orchestra: 'Out of the Blue' Tour Live at Wembley. Inspired by newsreels, he joined the US Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He considered this experience to be one of the highlights of his life. One of the big reasons I started using cocaine was that I was told it was great for sex. Required fields are marked *. [on his troubled relationship with daughter. [on dying] I may have them take my ashes and spread them all over Las Vegas! [on what he misses] I miss a pale-green Buick convertible with Dynaflow drive. Broke a Hollywood taboo in the 1950s by insisting that an African-American actor, Claims he probably had a sexual addiction. I don't know, but I plan to reinvent myself as an 84-year-old, as an 85-year-old man who can do anything and everything. I could have been a politician or a brain surgeon. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! After these films, Curtis became one of the most in-demand stars in Hollywood. © 2020 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved, © 2015 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. Eventually he was discovered, and he moved to Hollywood, changing his name from Bernard Schwartz to Tony Curtis.