Jack Lemmon (8/2/1925 - 6/27/2001) was born in Newton, Massachusetts and his birth name was John Uhler Lemmon III. The son of a wealthy industrial executive, he had grown up in a wealthy environment and therefore his education passed through top private schools until he reached the excellent Phillips Academy in Andover, MA.

In his teenage years, he played the piano with commitment and seemed headed toward a career in music.

In World War II he served in the Navy on the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain for 3 years.

He meanwhile enrolled at Harvard University from 1943 to 1947, when he graduated with a degree in War Service Sciences. His aptitude for music led him as president of a well-known club, the Hasty Pudding, to organize and , direct and participate in many musical comedy shows.

Meanwhile, with his father's money, he toured the United States performing in bars and clubs playing the piano. In 1950 he landed in New York City where he was cast in radio, TV, and theater programs such as The Philco Television Playhouse-Goodyear and Robert Montgomery Presents, shows that, at the time, were quite successful.

In 1953 he had his first major Broadway role in Room Service, a stage remake of a well-known play, which, however, was unsuccessful and was discontinued for lack of an audience two weeks after its debut. 

After this disappointment, but known in the milieu for his work and his charge as a comic actor, he was hired again in 1953 by Columbia for his first film : It Should Happen to You with a then fledgling actress, but also already known, Doris Day.

Filmography

1954 - "It Should Happen to You" (George Cukor)

1954 - "Phffft" (Mark Robson)

1955 - "Three for the Show" (H.C. Potter)

Columbia confirmed his contract for 7 years, although effectively, Jack remained tied to the studio for 10.

The contract called for two films a year, as a minimum, but left the actor free to star in more. Thus began a numerous production of films including the one that made him famous :

1955 - "Mister Roberts" (John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy) Won Oscar for best supporting actor

In 1955 she starred in two musicals and in 1956 in You Can't Run Away from It, a remake of the famous film with Clark Gable, It Happened One Night:

1955 - "My Sister Eileen" (Richard Quine)

1955 - "Hollywood Bronc Busters" (Documentary short)

1957 - "Fire Down Below" (Robert Parrish)

1957 - "Operation Mad Ball" (Richard Quine)

1958 - "Cowboy" (Delmer Daves)

1958 - "Bell, Book and Candle" (Richard Quine)

In 1959 he starred in the film that gave him the most success, Some Like It Hot where he reunited with Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe in a hilarious comedy written and directed by an already well known Billy Wilder, but not yet at the height of his career. This film marked the beginning of a long and successful 7-film collaboration between Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder that bore fruit soon after in 1960 with The Apartment ( The Apartment), in which we find Shirley MacLaine. This film earned the 1961 Academy Award for Best Picture.

1959 - "It Happened to Jane" (Richard Quine)

1960 - "The Apartment" (Billy Wilder)

1960 - "Stowaway in the Sky" (Narrator in English version)

1960 - "Pepe" (Cameo appearance)

1962 - "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" (Richard Murphy)

The year 1962 marked the beginning of a new experience for Jack Lemmon as an actor. In the film The Days of Wine and Roses, alongside Lee Remick, he plays the serious role of an alcoholic husband. From this film on, the roles alternate from comic to dramatic.

1963 - "Irma la Douce" (Billy Wilder)

1964 - "Good Neighbor Sam" (David Swift)

1965 - "How to Murder Your Wife" (Richard Quine)

1965 - "The Great Race" (Blake Edwards)

1966 - "The Fortune Cookie" (Billy Wilder) marks the beginning of collaboration with Walter Matthau with whom he worked in 10 films and with whom he became good friends.Comedy.

1968 - "There Comes a Day" (Short film)

1968 - "The Odd Couple" (Gene Saks)

1969 - "The April Fools" (Stuart Rosenberg)

1970 - "The Out-of-Towners" (Arthur Hiller)

1971- "Kotch" This was the only film in which Jack Lemmon tried his hand as director, earning Walter Matthau an Oscar for Best Actor in 1972. Comedy.

1972 - "Avanti!" (Billy Wilder)

1972 - "The War Between Men and Women" (Melville Shavelson)

1973 - "Save the Tiger" (John G. Avildsen) Oscar for Best Actor

1974 - "The Front Page" (Billy Wilder)

1974 - "Wednesday" (Short film)

1975 - "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" (Melvin Frank)

1976 - "Alex & the Gypsy" (John Korty)

1977 - "Airport '77" (Jerry Jameson)

1979 - "The China Syndrome" (James Bridges)

1980 - "Tribute" (Bob Clark)

1981 - "Buddy Buddy" (Billy Wilder)

1982 - "Missing" (Costa-Gavras)

1984 - "Mass Appeal" (Glenn Jordan)

1985 - "Macaroni" (Ettore Scola)

1986 - "That's Life!" (Blake Edwards)

1989 - "Dad" (Gary David Goldberg)

1991 - "JFK" (Oliver Stone)

1992 - "The Player" (Robert Altman)

1992 - "Glengarry Glen Ross" (James Foley)

1993 - "Short Cuts" (Robert Altman)

1993 - "Grumpy Old Men" (Donald Petrie)

1995 - "The Grass Harp" (Charles Matthau)

1995 - "Grumpier Old Men" (Howard Deutch)

1996 - "My Fellow Americans" (Peter Segal)

1997 - "Out to Sea" (Martha Coolidge)

1997 - "Hamlet" (Kenneth Branagh)

1998 - "Puppies for Sale" (Short film)

1998 - "The Odd Couple II" (Howard Deutch)

1999 - "Inherit the Wind" (Daniel Petrie)

1999 - "Tuesdays with Morrie" (Mick Jackson)

2000 - "The Legend of Bagger Vance" (Robert Redford)

Awards

1965 Oscar for best supporting actor

1972 Emmy Award  Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction per 'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gers NBC

1972 Emmy Award  Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction of a Variety per 'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gers NBC

1972 Emmy Award  Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety per 'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gers NBC

1972 Emmy Award  Outstanding Achievement in Choreography per 'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gers NBC

1973 Oscar Best Actor Save the tiger

2000 Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, per Tuesdays with Morrie