Actor
Jack Lemmon
Born 8 February 1925 · Newton, Massachusetts, USA — died 27 June 2001
Jack Lemmon (1925–2001) was an American actor who played anxious, decent everymen with equal skill in comedy and drama. He rose to fame in the 1950s and became a long-running partner of director Billy Wilder and actor Walter Matthau. He won two Academy Awards and appeared in more than 60 films.
Key films
Mister Roberts (1955)
His breakout role as Ensign Pulver earned him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Some Like It Hot (1959)On Cinespective
Billy Wilder's comedy classic, with Lemmon in drag as a musician on the run.
The Apartment (1960)
Another Wilder classic, blending comedy and heartbreak, as a clerk lending out his flat to bosses.
Days of Wine and Roses (1963)
A harrowing study of alcoholism that showed his power as a dramatic actor.
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
A late-career dramatic highlight as a desperate, fading salesman.
Key awards
- 1955 Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor (Mister Roberts)
- 1973 Academy Award, Best Actor (Save the Tiger)
- 1982 Cannes Film Festival, Best Actor (Missing)
- 1988 AFI Life Achievement Award
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 128
- 1949The Lady Takes a Sailor · as Plasterer (uncredited)Actor
- 1950Once Too Often · as Mike (uncredited)Actor
- 1950The Ford Theatre Hour: Alice in Wonderland · as TweedledumActor
- 1954It Should Happen to You · as Pete SheppardActor
- 1954Phffft · as Robert TraceyActor
- 1955Mister Roberts · as Frank PulverActor
- 1955My Sister Eileen · as Bob BakerActor
- 1955Three for the Show · as Marty StewartActor
- 1956You Can't Run Away from It · as Peter WarneActor
- 1957Fire Down Below · as TonyActor
- 1957Operation Mad Ball · as Pvt. HoganActor
- 1957The Mystery of Thirteen · as Dr. Billy PalmerActor
- 1958Bell, Book and Candle · as Nicky HolroydActor
- 1958Cowboy · as Frank HarrisActor
- 1959Some Like It Hot · as Jerry (Daphne)Actor
- 1959It Happened to Jane · as George DenhamActor
- 1960The Apartment · as C.C. BaxterActor
- 1960Pepe · as Jack LemmonActor
- 1960The Wackiest Ship in the Army · as Rip CrandallActor
- 1962The Notorious Landlady · as Bill GridleyActor
- 1962The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers · as SelfActor
- 1963Irma la Douce · as Nestor PatouActor
- 1963Days of Wine and Roses · as Joe ClayActor
- 1963Under the Yum Yum Tree · as HoganActor
- 1964Good Neighbor Sam · as Sam BisselActor
- 1965The Great Race · as Professor FateActor
- 1965How to Murder Your Wife · as Stanley FordActor
- 1966The Fortune Cookie · as Harry HinkleActor
- 1967Luv · as Harry BerlinActor
- 1968The Odd Couple · as Felix UngarActor
- 1968Jack Benny's Bag · as SelfActor
- 1969The April Fools · as Howard BrubakerActor
- 1970The Out-of-Towners · as George KellermanActor
- 1971Kotch · as Sleeping Bus Passenger (uncredited)Actor
- 1971KotchDirector
- 1972Avanti! · as Wendell Armbruster, Jr.Actor
- 1972The War Between Men and Women · as Peter WilsonActor
- 1972S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin · as Self - HostActor
- 1973Save the Tiger · as Harry StonerActor
- 1974The Front Page · as Hildebrand JohnsonActor
- 1974Wednesday · as Jerry MurphyActor
- 1974Oscars, Actors and The Exorcist · as SelfActor
- 1975The Prisoner of Second Avenue · as Mel EdisonActor
- 1975Killer Cop · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1976Alex & the Gypsy · as Alexander MainActor
- 1976The Gentleman Tramp · as NarratorActor
- 1976The Entertainer · as Archie RiceActor
- 1977Airport '77 · as Don GallagherActor
- 1979The China Syndrome · as Jack GodellActor
- 1980Tribute · as Scottie TempletonActor
- 1981Buddy Buddy · as Victor ClooneyActor
- 1981Musical Comedy Tonight II · as SelfActor
- 1981All-Star Party for Burt Reynolds · as SelfActor
- 1982Missing · as Ed HormanActor
- 1982Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder · as SelfActor
- 1982Night of 100 Stars · as SelfActor
- 1982Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter · as SelfActor
- 1982Ernie Kovacs: Television's Original Genius · as SelfActor
- 1984Mass Appeal · as Father Tim FarleyActor
- 1985Macaroni · as Robert TravenActor
- 1985Jacques Cousteau: The First 75 Years · as SelfActor
- 1986That's Life! · as Harvey FairchildActor
- 1986Debonair Dancers · as NarratorActor
- 1986Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special · as SelfActor
- 1987Long Day's Journey Into Night · as James TyroneActor
- 1987The Best of Max Headroom · as SelfActor
- 1988Gregory Peck: His Own Man · as SelfActor
- 1988Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1989Dad · as Jake TremontActor
- 1989Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius · as SelfActor
- 1990The Earth Day Special · as Coach StewartActor
- 1990Rita Hayworth: Dancing Into the Dream · as SelfActor
- 1990The American Film Institute Presents: TV or Not TV? · as Self - HostActor
- 1990The Life and Legend of Jane Goodall · as Self - Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1991JFK · as Jack MartinActor
- 1991The One, the Only... Groucho · as SelfActor
- 1992Glengarry Glen Ross · as Shelley LeveneActor
- 1992The Player · as Jack LemmonActor
- 1992For Richer, for Poorer · as Aram KatourianActor
- 1992Earth and the American Dream · as Reader (voice)Actor
- 1992James Cagney: Top of the World · as SelfActor
- 1992The Marilyn Files · as selfActor
- 1993Grumpy Old Men · as John GustafsonActor
- 1993Short Cuts · as Paul FinniganActor
- 1993Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy · as SelfActor
- 1993A Life in the Theatre · as RobertActor
- 1993Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country · as SelfActor
- 1995Grumpier Old Men · as John GustafsonActor
- 1995Inside the Dream Factory · as SelfActor
- 1996Hamlet · as MarcellusActor
- 1996My Fellow Americans · as President Russell P. KramerActor
- 1996The Grass Harp · as Dr. Morris RitzActor
- 1996Getting Away with Murder · as Mueller / LugerActor
- 1996Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels · as SelfActor
- 1996A Weekend in the Country · as Bud BaileyActor
- 1996Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman · as SelfActor
- 1996Fred MacMurray: The Guy Next Door · as SelfActor
- 199712 Angry Men · as Juror 8Actor
- 1997Out to Sea · as HerbActor
- 1997Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough · as SelfActor
- 1998The Odd Couple II · as Felix UngarActor
- 1998The Long Way Home · as Tom GerrinActor
- 1998Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's · as SelfActor
- 1998Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy · as SelfActor
- 1998Puppies for SaleActor
- 1999Inherit the Wind · as Henry DrummondActor
- 1999Tuesdays with Morrie · as Morrie SchwartzActor
- 1999Forever Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 2000The Legend of Bagger Vance · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2000Altman on His Own Terms · as SelfActor
- 2000On Cukor · as SelfActor
- 2000Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2001Nobody's Perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot · as SelfActor
- 2002Magic Time: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2003Christmas from Hollywood · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2004The China Syndrome: A Fusion of Talent · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2004The China Syndrome: Creating a Controversy · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2004Uta Hagen's Acting Class · as SelfActor
- 2005Nos Bastidores de Hollywood · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2006The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot' · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2006The Making of 'Some Like It Hot' · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2007Magic Time: The Art of Jack Lemmon · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2008Starz Inside: Ladies or Gentlemen · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2008Inside 'The Apartment' · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2009Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me · as SelfActor
- 2011Hollywood Invasion · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2011Marilyn at the Movies · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2021The Real Charlie Chaplin · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.