Jack Palance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Palance
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Volodymyr Palanyuk
February 18, 1919 Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
|
| Died | November 10, 2006 (aged 87) Montecito, California, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1947 – 2004 |
Jack Palance (born February 18, 1919) was a famous American actor. He won an Academy Award for his acting. Many people remember him as the characters Curly and Duke from the City Slickers movies. His acting career lasted for over 50 years, with many roles in movies and on TV.
Contents
Jack Palance's Early Life
Jack Palance was born in Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania. His family came from Ukraine. When he was young, his father worked as a coal miner. In the late 1930s, Jack started a career as a professional boxer. He fought under the name Jack Brazzo. He won 15 fights in a row, with 12 knockouts!
His boxing career ended when World War II began. Jack joined the military. During the war, he was in a B-24 plane that caught fire. He had to bail out, and his face was injured. Doctors helped repair the damage. This left him with a unique and strong look. After his recovery, he left the military in 1944.
After the war, Jack went to Stanford University. He studied drama and graduated in 1947. To pay for school, he worked many different jobs. He was a cook, a waiter, a lifeguard, and even a photographer's model.
Jack Palance's Acting Career
In 1947, Jack Palance started acting on Broadway (a famous theater district in New York City). Three years later, he appeared in his first movie, Panic in the Streets (1950). People quickly noticed his talent. He was great at playing interesting and often tough characters. He was even nominated for an Academy Award for his third movie role in Sudden Fear.
The next year, he was nominated for another Oscar. This was for his role as the bad guy, Wilson, in the movie Shane. Jack Palance played many roles in Western movies. But he also played many other kinds of characters. These included Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, and even Attila the Hun.
In 1957, Jack won an Emmy Award for Best Actor. This was for his role as Mountain McClintock in a TV show called Playhouse 90.
In the 1980s, Jack Palance also hosted a TV show. It was called Ripley's Believe It or Not!. He hosted it with his daughter, Holly Palance.
Jack Palance's Personal Life
Jack Palance was married twice. His first wife was Virginia Baker. They were married from 1949 to 1966. They had three children: Holly, Brooke, and Cody. His son, Cody, also became an actor. Cody appeared with his father in the movie Young Guns.
Jack Palance started a special event called The Cody Palance Memorial Golf Classic. This event helps raise money and awareness for a cancer center in Los Angeles.
Since 1987, Jack Palance was married to Elaine Rogers.
Jack Palance's Death
Jack Palance passed away on November 10, 2006. He was 87 years old. He died from a sudden stroke at his daughter Holly's home in Montecito, California.
Jack Palance's Legacy and Awards
Jack Palance's unique look and acting style inspired many artists. For example, the comic book character Darkseid was modeled after him. Also, the comic book character Dracula in Marvel Comics looked like Jack Palance.
One of Jack Palance's most famous moments happened in 1991. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in City Slickers. When he went to accept his award, he looked at the host, Billy Crystal. Then, at 73 years old, Jack dropped to the floor and did one-handed push-ups! This showed everyone how strong he still was.
Jack Palance has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special sidewalk in Hollywood where famous people are honored. In 1992, he was also added to the Western Performers Hall of Fame. This is at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
Besides acting, Jack Palance also loved to paint. He painted landscapes and often included a poem on the back of each painting. He also wrote a book of poems called The Forest of Love. It was published in 1996.
Images for kids
-
Palance with Sharon Tate during the filming of Barabbas (1961).
-
Palance (left) visits a VA Hospital in 2005.
-
Palance in The Godchild (1974).
.jpg)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Jack Palance para niños
