Fred Astaire

Actor / Dancer
Date Of Birth:
10 May 1899
Date Of Death:
22 June 1987
pneumonia
Place Of Birth:
Omaha, Nebraska
Best Known As:
Hollywood's most famous dancer

Name at birth: Frederick Austerlitz

Fred Astaire was the American movie dancer of the 1930s and 1940s. Famed for his mixture of elegance and nice-guy charm, he was a popular romantic lead despite his lack of typical movie star good looks. Astaire's dance routines are a staple of movie highlight reels. He was often paired with dancing actress Ginger Rogers; their movies together included Flying Down to Rio (1933), Top Hat (1935), and Swing Time (1936). Astaire was also known as a top-notch singer. He continued to act in films until the early 1980s (Ghost Story, 1981). Astaire was given an honorary Oscar in 1950, and a quarter century later was nominated for his supporting role in The Towering Inferno (1974).
Extra Credit:

Astaire was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his non-dancing appearance in the 1974 disaster film The Towering Inferno.

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