John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 â€" June 27, 2001) was an
American actor and musician who was nominated for an Academy Award
eight times, winning twice. He starred in over 60 films, such as
Mister Roberts (1955, for which he won the year's Academy Award for
Best Supporting Actor), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960),
Days of Wine and Roses (1962), Irma la Douce (1963), The Great Race
(1965), The Odd Couple (1968, and its sequel The Odd Couple II (1998),
both with frequent co-star Walter Matthau), Save the Tiger (1973, for
which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor), The China Syndrome
(1979), Missing (1982), Long Day's Journey into Night (1987, for which
he won a Golden Globe), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).Lemmon was born
on February 8, 1925, in an elevator at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in
Newton, Massachusetts. He was the only child of Mildred Burgess (née
LaRue; 1896â€"1967) and John Uhler Lemmon II (1893â€"1962), president
of the Doughnut Corporation of America. John Uhler Lemmon II was of
Irish heritage, and Jack Lemmon was raised Catholic. His parents had a
difficult marriage, and separated permanently when Lemmon was 18, but
never divorced. He attended John Ward Elementary School in Newton and
the Rivers School in Weston, Massachusetts. Often unwell as a child,
Lemmon had three significant operations on his ears before he turned
10. He had spent two years in hospital by the time he turned 12.During
his acceptance of his lifetime achievement award, he stated that he
knew he wanted to be an actor from the age of eight. He began to act
in school productions. Lemmon attended Rivers Country Day School and
Phillips Andover Academy (class of 1943), where he pursued track
sports with success, and Harvard College (class of 1947), where he
lived in Eliot House. At Harvard, he was president of the Hasty
Pudding Club and vice president of Dramatic and Delphic Clubs. Except
for drama and music, however, he was an unexceptional student.
American actor and musician who was nominated for an Academy Award
eight times, winning twice. He starred in over 60 films, such as
Mister Roberts (1955, for which he won the year's Academy Award for
Best Supporting Actor), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960),
Days of Wine and Roses (1962), Irma la Douce (1963), The Great Race
(1965), The Odd Couple (1968, and its sequel The Odd Couple II (1998),
both with frequent co-star Walter Matthau), Save the Tiger (1973, for
which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor), The China Syndrome
(1979), Missing (1982), Long Day's Journey into Night (1987, for which
he won a Golden Globe), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).Lemmon was born
on February 8, 1925, in an elevator at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in
Newton, Massachusetts. He was the only child of Mildred Burgess (née
LaRue; 1896â€"1967) and John Uhler Lemmon II (1893â€"1962), president
of the Doughnut Corporation of America. John Uhler Lemmon II was of
Irish heritage, and Jack Lemmon was raised Catholic. His parents had a
difficult marriage, and separated permanently when Lemmon was 18, but
never divorced. He attended John Ward Elementary School in Newton and
the Rivers School in Weston, Massachusetts. Often unwell as a child,
Lemmon had three significant operations on his ears before he turned
10. He had spent two years in hospital by the time he turned 12.During
his acceptance of his lifetime achievement award, he stated that he
knew he wanted to be an actor from the age of eight. He began to act
in school productions. Lemmon attended Rivers Country Day School and
Phillips Andover Academy (class of 1943), where he pursued track
sports with success, and Harvard College (class of 1947), where he
lived in Eliot House. At Harvard, he was president of the Hasty
Pudding Club and vice president of Dramatic and Delphic Clubs. Except
for drama and music, however, he was an unexceptional student.
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