Tony Curtis

Father of Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis (with Janet Leigh ).

Father of Allegra Curtis and Alexandra Curtis (with Christine Kaufmann ).

His son, Nicholas Curtis , died of seizures due to an overdose of heroin (2 July 1994).

Born to Emanuel Schwartz, a Hungarian tailor who emigrated to the United States, and his wife Helen, he grew up with two brothers, Julius and Robert.

Enjoys painting and creating shadow boxes. In late 2005, the Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY) acquired one of his canvasses for its permanent collection.

Lives in Henderson, Nevada.

Appears on the cover of The Beatles "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band".

Suffers from fear of flying.

He made a literary cameo in Matt Whymans debut romantic comedy novel, Man or Mouse, in which the main character, Ren, e-mails Curtis with his love-life problems, and finally meets him briefly.

He has two adopted sons.

Was the inspiration for and voiced the character Stoney Curtis on an episode of "The Flintstones" , along with Ann-Margret as Ann Marg-rock.

Since re-dubbing the bath scene in Spartacus in which he starred with Laurence Olivier , Curtis has said that whenever he encounters Anthony Hopkins (who did the voiceover for Olivier in the re-dubbed version following Oliviers death), he hollers "Oh Tony... its Antoninus".

Appeared in Sugar, a stage musical based on Billy Wilder s Some Like It Hot . He appeared as millionaire Osgood Fielding III, the character played by Joe E. Brown in the film.

He was a militant anti-smoker, having been a heavy smoker himself for about thirty years. Both Sir Michael Caine and Sir Roger Moore credited Curtis with helping them quit smoking cigarettes in the early 1970s, though not cigars.

Serving with "F Troop" actor Larry Storch in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945 aboard a submarine tender, he witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay from a vantage point 300 yards away. He and Storch have had a lifelong friendship. They appeared together in The Great Race . Storch also co-starred as his room mate/asst in the comedy 40 Pounds of Trouble .

Along with Ernest Borgnine , Curtis refused to watch, and publicly condemned, Brokeback Mountain .

Nearly died in hospital from pneumonia at Christmas 2006.

Was originally considered for one of the leading roles of Lady L .

Has appeared in tourism advertisements for his ancestral homeland Hungary.

His favorite movie star was Cary Grant.

Elvis Presley copied his duck-tail hairstyle after seeing it on screen.

His brother Julius died after being hit by a truck.

He enjoys playing the flute for pleasure and relaxation. He is a very accomplished player.

Now in his 80s, he spends most of his time painting. Some of his works are a part of a permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Claims that his mother was physically abusive and that his father was impassive.

Recovered from a cocaine addiction in the 1980s.

His sixth wife, Jill Vandenberg Curtis (since 1998), who is 46 years younger than he, runs a wild-horse refuge.

Claims he probably had a sexual addiction. Among his female conquests boasted of in his 2008 memoir was a pre-star Marilyn Monroe who was a very young, pony-tailed redhead during their teenage affair.

Broke a Hollywood taboo in the 1950s by insisting that an African-American actor, Sidney Poitier , have co-starring billing next to him in the movie The Defiant Ones .

Like many before and after, he changed his name from Bernard Schwartz to Tony Curtis , partly in response to Hollywood anti-Semitism.

Admits that he is largely estranged from all six of his children, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis , one of his children by first wife Janet Leigh.

According to his autobiography, he really desired the lead male role of Paul Varjack in the film Breakfast at Tiffanys . Director Blake Edwards considered the idea, but the role eventually went to George Peppard.

Suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in his last years.

Following his death, he was buried with some of his favorite possessions - a Stetson hat, an Armani scarf, driving gloves, an iPhone and a copy of his favorite novel, "Anthony Adverse," a book that inspired his celebrity name.

He disinherited all of his children from his will and left the bulk of his estate to his wife Jill Vandenberg Curtis.

Father of two sons, with Leslie Curtis : Nicholas Curtis and Benjamin Curtis.

From the top of his submarine in Tokyo Bay, using a pair of binoculars, he was able to witness the Japanese surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri, about a mile away. He considered this experience to be one of the highlights of his life.

Serving with "F Troop" actor Larry Storch in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945 aboard a submarine tender, he witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay from a vantage point 300 yards away. He and Storch have had a lifelong friendship. They appeared together in The Great Race . Storch also co-starred as his room mate/asst in the comedy Forty Pounds of Trouble.

Was a liberal Democrat and attended several of the Democratic National Conventions until his death. He was even a frequent White House guest during the Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy Administrations.

Release of his book, "Tony Curtis: The Autobiography" by Tony and Barry Paris.

(June 2002) Co-starring as Osgood Fielding III in musical stage version of Some Like It Hot .

(October 2008) Release of his book, "American Prince: A Memoir" by Tony with Peter Golenbock.

George Stevens "Gunga Din" is his favorite film.

Lifelong friends of: Julie Adams and Piper Laurie.

Met Julie Adams and Piper Laurie , when the three were all under contract with Universal in 1949.

Although he played Ernest Borgnine s son in The Vikings , he was only eight years his junior in real life.

In his 2008 autobiography "American Prince: A Memoir" Curtis accused many people he worked with of holding anti-Semitic views.

Although his effort might have been lost on audiences that could not tell Tony Curtiss native Bronx accent from a Boston accent, when Curtis played the title role in The Boston Strangler , he labored to achieve an authentic local accent.

Got the part in The Great Race when Charlton Heston had to turn it down due to production delays on The Agony and the Ecstasy.

Son of drama teacher, agent, and casting director Ronnie Curtis

I had to be careful where I went because I was a Jew, because I was,young and because I was handsome. It made me wiry and erratic and,paranoid, which is what I still am. Always on guard.

Hollywood. . . the most sensational merry-go-around ever built.

Comedy is the most honest way for an actor to earn his living. People,would rather laugh than cry. The quickest way to change drama into,comedy is simply to speed up the film.

Fame is another profession. I feel that I have two professions, I have,the profession of being an actor and I have the profession of being,famous.

[about his many sexual dalliances] It was love. I was falling in love,every day. I am completely in love with women. Every woman. I loved,their company and there was always a chance you could kiss them. I,found kissing a very appealing experience. I was just always hoping for,that conquest, hoping for that physical affection . . . that,ejaculation.

. Cary Grant. He could have picked anyone, but he allowed me the,privilege to be in the movie with him. Jesus. To be in a movie with,Cary Grant. Meeting him was the best thing that ever happened to me. He,was the reason why I wanted to get into the movies - and that is all I,ever wanted.

[about Some Like It Hot (1959) ] It was perfect. Great dialogue.

[on finally forgiving his mother long after she died] We could have all,turned out like her. She cleaned houses in Hungary from when she was,six or seven. She had no opportunities.

I realized if I could [have sex with] a girl . . . a woman has accepted,me. The main force in me was to be accepted by others. Not education,not money in my pocket, nothing except to be accepted by a girl.

She was disappearing into her own madnesses.

[on dying] I may have them take my ashes and spread them all over Las,Vegas!,[on his relationship with his mother] I got nothing from her. I got,slapped around is what I got.

Here in America, you have to die before they say something nice about,you.

I have met every President of the United States from Kennedy on, except,Nixon.