George Chakiris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Chakiris
Chakiris in 2010
Born	(1932-09-16) September 16, 1932 (age 92) Norwood, Ohio, U.S.
Other names	George Kerris
Occupation	Actor, dancer
Years active	1947–1996, 2021

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

George Chakiris: Early Life and Career

Growing Up

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 school and later graduated from Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in 1950.

Starting His Dance Career

After high school, George went to Long Beach City College for one year. But he really wanted to be a dancer. So, he left college and moved to Hollywood. He worked in a department store's advertising team during the day. At night, he took dance classes to improve his skills.

First Steps 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 started his movie career at age 15. His first film was Song of Love in 1947, where he was part of the chorus.

For several years, he had small roles in many musical movies. He was often a dancer or part of the chorus. Some of these films include The Great Caruso (1951) and Stars and Stripes Forever (1952). He also appeared in Call Me Madam (1953) and The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953).

He was one of the dancers with Marilyn Monroe in her famous "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" song in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). He also danced in Give a Girl a Break (1953) and White Christmas (1954). You can also spot him in the wedding dance scene in the musical Brigadoon (1954).

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

Getting Noticed

George Chakiris was an uncredited dancer in White Christmas (1954). He got his big chance when he appeared in a close-up shot with singer Rosemary Clooney. She was singing "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me." A photo from this scene became very popular and brought him a lot of fan mail. Because of this, Paramount offered him a movie contract. George said, "I got lucky with the close-up with Rosemary."

He then appeared in The Country Girl (1954). In The Girl Rush (1955), he danced with Rosalind Russell and received good reviews.

MGM, another movie studio, borrowed him for Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), where he danced in Las Vegas. He also had a small, non-dancing part in Under Fire (1957).

Becoming a Star in West Side Story

Chakiris in West Side Story (1961)

Around 1958, George felt his career wasn't moving forward. So, he left Hollywood and moved to New York. The stage musical West Side Story was very popular on Broadway. George auditioned for the show's director, Jerome Robbins. He was chosen to play Riff, the leader of the Jets gang, in the London production.

The musical opened in London's West End in late 1958. George received excellent reviews for his performance and played the role for almost two years.

The Mirisch Brothers bought the rights to make West Side Story into a movie. They screen-tested George Chakiris. They thought his dark hair and looks made him a better fit for Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks gang. So, they cast Russ Tamblyn as Riff. Filming for the movie took seven months.

The movie version of West Side Story (1961) was a huge success! George Chakiris won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Bernardo. This big win 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 the film Diamond Head (1963), alongside famous actor Charlton Heston.

In the early 1960s, George also started a career as a pop singer. He had a few small hit songs. In 1960, he recorded a single with producer Joe Meek.

Movies in Europe and TV Roles

More Films

After his success, George Chakiris was reportedly paid $100,000 per movie. His first new film for the Mirisch company was Flight from Ashiya (1964), filmed in Japan with Yul Brynner.

The Mirisch company brought George and Yul Brynner together again for Kings of the Sun (1963). This was a big movie about the ancient Mayans, but it didn't do well at the box office. George then went to Italy to make Bebo's Girl (1964) with Claudia Cardinale.

He also acted in 633 Squadron (1964), a war movie with Cliff Robertson. This was his last movie for the Mirisch company. George later said he made a mistake by focusing on how "potential" a film seemed, instead of how good the roles were.

Working in Europe

George played a Greek terrorist in Cyprus in a British film called The High Bright Sun (1965). He then went to Italy for The Mona Lisa Has Been Stolen (1965) and France for Is Paris Burning? (1966).

He appeared with Catherine Deneuve and Gene Kelly in the French musical film The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). Around this time, his manager ended his music contract. However, George enjoyed his time in Europe. He said it gave him time to "experiment and refine my craft." He also performed a nightclub act in Las Vegas, which was his first stage work since West Side Story. This show was successful. He then appeared with Jose Ferrer in a TV show called Kismet (1967). He also made The Day the Hot Line Got Hot (1968) in France and The Big Cube (1969) with Lana Turner in America. He filmed Sharon Vestida de Rojo (Sharon Dressed in Red) (1970) in Spain.

Television and Stage Work

In 1969, George Chakiris performed in a play called The Corn Is Green in Chicago. He really enjoyed this experience, and it helped him feel more confident as an actor. He said that all the films he made after West Side Story had been "a waste of time." He felt it was his own fault for not choosing better roles.

George decided to take on a serious role in the TV show Medical Center to change his image.

Chakiris as Alex Solkin in Medical Center, 1970

He also starred in the first national tour of the musical Company by Stephen Sondheim. He played the role of Bobby from 1971 to 1972.

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

He was in the very last episode of The Partridge Family (March 22, 1974). He played an old high school boyfriend of Shirley Partridge (Shirley Jones). Their goodbye kiss was the final scene of the show. He also starred in the film Why Not Stay for Breakfast? (1979).

George Chakiris appeared in several episodes of Dallas and had a role on Santa Barbara.

Later Career and Hobbies

George Chakiris was the main actor in the vampire film Pale Blood (1990). On TV, he had a regular role as Professor Peterson on the series Superboy from 1988 to 1990. He also guest-starred on Human Target.

On stage, he starred in a production of The King and I in 1995.

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

Since then, he has mostly retired from acting, but he still gives occasional TV interviews. His hobby of making sterling silver jewelry has become a new job. He now works as a jewelry designer for his own brand, George Chakiris Collections. He creates handmade original sterling silver jewelry.

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

In 2021, George Chakiris appeared in the film Not to Forget. This movie aims to raise awareness and money to fight Alzheimer's disease. The film was directed by Valerio Zanoli and stars Karen Grassle. It also features five other Academy Award winners: Cloris Leachman, Louis Gossett Jr., Tatum O'Neal, and Olympia Dukakis.

Filmography

Selected Television Appearances

See also

In Spanish: George Chakiris para niños