Fred Astaire: Quick Facts

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Fred Astaire was an American dancer onstage and in motion pictures. He studied dancing from the age of four and formed a popular vaudeville act with his sister, Adele, making their Broadway debut in "Over the Top" in 1917. Following Adele's retirement, Astaire transitioned to film, appearing in "Dancing Lady" in 1933. He gained international fame starring alongside Ginger Rogers in successful musical comedy films such as "Flying Down to Rio," "The Gay Divorcee," "Top Hat," and "Swing Time." Astaire revolutionized movie musicals by simplifying complex filming techniques. He later received an honorary Academy Award and American Film Institute honors.

Facts

Also Known As	Frederick Austerlitz • Frederic Austerlitz, Jr.
Born	May 10, 1899 • Omaha • Nebraska
Died	June 22, 1987 (aged 88) • Los Angeles • California
Awards And Honors	Grammy Award • Kennedy Center Honors (1978) • Academy Award (1950) • Special Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1950) • Cecil B. DeMille Award (1961) • Emmy Award (1978): Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama or Comedy Special • Emmy Award (1961): Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or Series • Emmy Award (1959): Best Single Performance by an Actor • Golden Globe Award (1975): Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture • Golden Globe Award (1951): Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Married To	Robyn Smith (married 1980) • Phyllis Livingston Potter (1933–1954 [her death])
Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In)	"Silk Stockings" (1957) • "The Amazing Dobermans" (1976) • "The Band Wagon" (1953) • "Dancing Lady" (1933) • "Blue Skies" (1946) • "The Belle of New York" (1952) • "Royal Wedding" (1951) • "Swing Time" (1936) • "Three Little Words" (1950) • "Let's Dance" (1950) • "Broadway Melody of 1940" (1940) • "The Gay Divorcee" (1934) • "Ghost Story" (1981) • "Carefree" (1938) • "You'll Never Get Rich" (1941) • "Midas Run" (1969) • "The Pleasure of His Company" (1961) • "Un taxi mauve" (1977) • "Yolanda and the Thief" (1945) • "Funny Face" (1957) • "Easter Parade" (1948) • "Daddy Long Legs" (1955) • "General Electric Theater" (1957–1959) • "Top Hat" (1935) • "Roberta" (1935) • "Alcoa Premiere" (1962) • "The Barkleys of Broadway" (1949) • "You Were Never Lovelier" (1942) • "Ziegfeld Follies" (1945) • "Finian's Rainbow" (1968) • "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" (1939) • "Dr. Kildare" (1965) • "The Sky's the Limit" (1943) • "Shall We Dance" (1937) • "Holiday Inn" (1942) • "A Damsel in Distress" (1937) • "The Notorious Landlady" (1962) • "Untitled Project" (1999–2000) • "Flying Down to Rio" (1933) • "The Towering Inferno" (1974) • "Second Chorus" (1940) • "On the Beach" (1959) • "Battlestar Galactica" (1979) • "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" (1964) • "It Takes a Thief" (1969–1970) • "Follow the Fleet" (1936)