George Chakiris facts for kids

George Chakiris (born September 16, 1932) is an American actor and dancer. He is famous for playing Bernardo in the 1961 movie West Side Story. Bernardo was the leader of the Sharks gang in the film. For this role, George Chakiris won two big awards: the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.

George Chakiris's Life and Career

His Early Life and Dreams

George Chakiris was born on September 16, 1932, in Norwood, Ohio. His parents, Stelianos and Zoe Chakiris, were Greek immigrants from Turkey. George was one of eight children in his family.

In 1944, his family moved to Long Beach, California. He went to Jefferson Junior High and then graduated from Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in 1950.

George studied at Long Beach City College for a year. But he really wanted to be a dancer. So, he left college and moved to Hollywood. He worked in a department store and took dance classes at night.

Starting Out in Movies

Marilyn Monroe performing "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). George Chakiris is on the right (uncredited).

George Chakiris first appeared in a movie when he was 15 years old. It was in 1947, and he was part of the chorus in Song of Love.

For many years, he had small roles. He was often a dancer or part of the chorus in musical films. Some of these movies include The Great Caruso (1951) and White Christmas (1954).

You can see him dancing in the famous "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" scene with Marilyn Monroe. This was in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). He also danced in the wedding scene in Brigadoon (1954).

Sometimes, Chakiris played characters from different backgrounds. For example, he played a Puerto Rican in West Side Story. He also played a native Hawaiian in Diamond Head.

Getting Noticed by Paramount

In the movie White Christmas (1954), George was an uncredited dancer. But he had a close-up scene with singer Rosemary Clooney. This photo became popular and brought him fan mail.

Because of this, Paramount offered him a movie contract. He later said, "I got lucky with the close-up with Rosemary."

He appeared in The Country Girl (1954). He also danced with Rosalind Russell in The Girl Rush (1955).

His Big Break: West Side Story

Around 1958, George felt his career wasn't moving forward. So, he left Hollywood and went to New York. The musical West Side Story was very popular on Broadway. George tried out for a part.

He was chosen to play Riff, the leader of the Jets gang, in the London show. The musical opened in London in late 1958. George received great reviews and performed in the show for almost two years.

Later, the Mirisch Brothers decided to make West Side Story into a movie. They tested George for the film. They thought his darker look made him a better fit for Bernardo. Bernardo was the leader of the Sharks gang. So, they cast him as Bernardo and Russ Tamblyn as Riff. Filming took seven months.

The movie West Side Story (1961) was a huge success! George Chakiris won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role. This led to a long-term contract with the Mirisch Company.

After West Side Story, George played the main role in Two and Two Make Six (1962). He also starred as a doctor in Diamond Head (1963). In this movie, he acted alongside Charlton Heston.

In the early 1960s, he also started a career as a pop singer. He had a few small hit songs.

More Movies and Time in Europe

George Chakiris's fee for movies was reported to be $100,000 per film around this time. His first new movie for the Mirisch company was Flight from Ashiya (1964). He filmed this in Japan with Yul Brynner.

He worked with Yul Brynner again in Kings of the Sun (1963). This was a big movie about the Mayans, but it didn't do well at the box office. George then went to Italy to make Bebo's Girl (1964).

His last movie for the Mirisch company was 633 Squadron (1964), a war film. George later said he made a mistake by focusing on how big a movie might be instead of how good his role was.

He then made several films in Europe. He played a Greek terrorist in The High Bright Sun (1965). He also appeared in the French musical film The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). In this movie, he acted with Catherine Deneuve and Gene Kelly.

George enjoyed his time in Europe. He felt he had time to "experiment and refine my craft." He also performed a nightclub act in Las Vegas. This show was successful and led to him appearing in a TV musical called Kismet (1967).

Working in the 1970s and 1980s

In 1969, George Chakiris acted in a play called The Corn Is Green in Chicago. He really enjoyed this experience. It helped him feel more confident as an actor. He said that many of the films he made after West Side Story were "a waste of time."

To change his acting image, George took a serious role on the TV show Medical Center.

Chakiris as Alex Solkin in Medical Center, 1970

From 1971 to 1972, he starred in the first national tour of the musical Company. He played the role of Bobby.

George worked a lot on TV in the 1970s and 1980s. He appeared in many popular shows. These include Hawaii Five-O, Wonder Woman, Fantasy Island, and Murder, She Wrote.

He was in the last episode of The Partridge Family in 1974. He played an old high school boyfriend of Shirley Partridge. Their goodbye kiss was the very last scene of the show. He also appeared in several episodes of Dallas.

Later Career and New Hobbies

In 1990, George Chakiris was the main actor in the vampire movie Pale Blood. On TV, he had a regular role as Professor Peterson in the series Superboy from 1988 to 1990.

In 1995, he starred in a musical called The King and I in Long Beach.

On March 23, 1998, George appeared on the 70th Academy Awards TV show. He was part of a special group of 70 actors who had won awards.

Since then, he has mostly retired from acting. He sometimes gives TV interviews. Now, he has a new job making jewelry. He designs and creates handmade sterling silver jewelry for his own brand, George Chakiris Collections.

In 2012, he helped present a musical about veganism called Loving the Silent Tears.

In 2021, George Chakiris appeared in the movie Not to Forget. This film helps raise awareness and money to fight Alzheimer's disease. He acted with other famous actors, including five Academy Award winners.

George Chakiris's Movies

George Chakiris's TV Shows

See also

In Spanish: George Chakiris para niños